Past Present And Uncertainty-season 1
by Aninews Boardies
Summary: Sequal to Boy Meets Girls! We didn't write this! And this is only the first season. If you want the second season go to Julian's Homepage! (although it's not written yet)
1. Prologue

Dragon Ball Z/ Sailor Moon/ Ranma ½ fanfic.  
  
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."  
  
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)  
  
  
Warning: All characters from this fanfic (except for the villains)   
are copyright from Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball Z), Naoko Takeuchi (Sailor   
Moon) and Rumiko Takahashi (Ranma ½) so don't sue me. By the way, also worth   
mentioning, this story is a sequel to my other fanfic "Boy meets girls".   
In other words, there will be a lot of things you won't understand in this   
story if you haven't read "Boy meets girls" (and it's side stories) first.   
If that's the case... then what the Hell are you doing here still reading   
this? Go to http://lavender.fortunecity.com/flamingos/122 instead, and start   
at the real beginning of the story like you're suppose to!  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
PROLOGUE  
  
  
  
  
"Master Eron, we must be near now."  
  
"It would appear so," a male voice answered. "Otherwise, our Lord wouldn't   
have summoned me. It looks like we'll be having a new sky soon."  
  
"I'll wait here for further instructions, sir," Eron's female companion   
declared.  
  
"You do that."   
  
After so saying, Eron walked out of the lab and into a corridor. He   
readjusted his collar and ran his fingers through his soft brown hair   
in order to look more presentable. He then shook some dirt off his   
pristine white medical robe with his hand.  
  
"Still obsessed on how you look, I see," said a low voice from behind Eron.  
  
This one just smirked. Without even turning to see who it was, Eron decided   
to get a last look at himself in a nearby mirror.  
  
"Well, well, well. If it isn't my dear cryptic colleague himself," Eron   
declared sarcastically. He then turned around to face the person.   
  
A man dressed, although it looked more liked wrapped, in a black cape with   
a high collar stood behind him. His eyes hidden by the shadow his hat   
created along his face. Only his shoulder length gray hair was revealed.  
  
"To what do we owe the honor of seeing the great Arlakk roaming among the   
living?" Eron continued. "Were your bats and snakes making too much noise to   
let you sleep?"  
  
The dark cloaked one just passed next to him without making a sound.  
  
"Try not to waste too much time looking in that mirror," Arlakk commented.   
"You don't want to keep our Lord waiting."  
  
"I'm afraid good looks and perfection is something you'll never be able to   
understand," Eron replied, without paying attention to the warlock.   
  
"Please, spare me the narcissist speech," Arlakk interrupted.  
  
The two men eventually went to meet their superior. As they both walked   
along the hall, neither of them talked.   
Even if they met only under special circumstances such as this one, neither   
Eron nor Arlakk could say that they looked forward to seeing each other. If   
it wasn't for these regular missions their Lord sent them to, they would   
avoid one another as much as possible.   
But the Lord's biding came before their own.   
The only condolence to this was that once this was over, they would be able   
to forget about the unwanted companion by locking themselves in their own   
world.  
  
An imposing iron door about 20 feet tall and 8 feet wide stood in front of   
both men as they reached the top of the main tower.  
Without even the need to knock, the gates opened for the men.  
  
The entire room lacked of any sort of furniture, as well as little illumination.   
The only source of light came from the center of the chamber, where a throne   
was set. That's where the Lord was sitting.  
Next to him, a completely bald woman dressed in a full body turquoise spandex,   
black jacket and boots, stood firm like a soldier. The purple glow   
emanating from the Lord made her ivory white skin take that particular shade   
of color.  
  
"Master, here we are, ready to follow your every command." Eron declared as   
he respectfully bowed. Next to him, Arlakk bowed as well.  
  
"My servants," began the imposing figure which rested on the throne,   
"we are near our new destination. I'm clearing the Window as we speak.   
Sorine, open the dome."  
  
Without responding, the bald woman moved towards one of the room's walls,   
which isn't saying much, since the room was completely round, and pressed   
the palm of her hand against it.  
The chamber's roof began to open up like a macrodome. Even the walls   
retracted as well, giving the tower the shape of a column. The four   
figures stood on top of it.   
  
Eron approached the border, careful not to fall due to the lack of a   
handrail. One false step and he'd become one ugly looking red stain painted   
on the streets of Dominia. But still, the view from the Lord's tower was   
magnificent. He could even see his lab from here. Not that it was too   
difficult to spot. After all, it was one of the most imposing buildings in   
all of Dominia next to Arlakk's tower and Sorine's research center.  
  
A growl from the Lord caught the attention of the present trio.  
The light which was forming around him suddenly spiraled upwards in a single   
beam which impacted against the atmosphere.  
The sky began to open up (literally) like a huge portal. On the other side,   
a city began to appear. The hole on the sky grew larger each second until   
eventually, the three individuals couldn't see nothing else than the city   
placed upside-down instead of their blue sky.   
  
The Lord let out a sigh as he finished his work. This had required a   
considerable amount of energy to achieve.  
  
"The Window is now clear," he stated. "Your mission begins now."  
  
"My Lord," Eron began, "I would like to ask your permission to be the first   
to go Outside."  
  
"Master, I believe I would be a more logical choice for this mission,"   
Arlakk cut in, "My coworker tends too be a little... reckless in matters   
such as these."  
  
"What did you say??" Eron growled, clearly offended. "Maybe I don't use any   
hocus pocus like you do, but my methods are far from reckless and, must I   
add, are *quite* efficient."  
  
"Enough!" shouted the Lord, before the conversation got out of hand... again.   
"This is what I command. Eron, you shall be the one in charge of this   
operation."  
  
"Yes, Lord," Eron acknowledged, as he let out a smirk. Even if he could   
hardly see Arlakk's face due to the shadows that engulfed it, he was able   
to make out how the sorcerer's lips twisted in an unpleasant manner. The   
warlock remained silent to the Lord's decision though.  
  
"However," the Lord went on, "Arlakk and Sorine will go Outside before you,   
in order to conduct an investigation. This world seems to live in a society   
and the people in it appear to be knowledgeable in science and technology...   
and who knows, they *might* know something we don't. I want the two of you   
to find out as much as possible about this city so Eron will be able to merge   
in it with ease."  
  
"Yes, Lord," responded both servants simultaneously.  
  
"Eron, in the meantime, I want you to start selecting members of your staff   
for the mission at hand." he concluded. "Once we know everything we need to,   
we'll start our attack. Now... leave, I need to rest."  
  
The three servants got up and left the room silently.   
Once outside the tower, each went on a different direction without exchanging   
a single word.  
  
  
  
  
  
End of prologue.  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 1

Dragon Ball Z/ Sailor Moon/ Ranma ½ fanfic.  
  
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."  
TEAM OMEGA's NOTES-We didn't write this story. Although we really wish we did. It is by Julian Soullard. And YES we did get freaking permission. Alright? Okay now read the sequal. And Makato? PLEASE DON'T FREAKING E-MAIL ME OKAY?????????? HAPPY? And by the way nick slaps like a girl.   
  
  
  
  
  
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)  
  
  
Warning: All characters from this fanfic (except for the villains)   
are copyright from Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball Z), Naoko Takeuchi (Sailor   
Moon) and Rumiko Takahashi (Ranma ½) so don't sue me. By the way, also worth   
mentioning, this story is a sequel to my other fanfic "Boy meets girls".   
In other words, there will be a lot of things you won't understand in this   
story if you haven't read "Boy meets girls" (and its side stories) first.   
If that's the case... then what the Hell are you doing here still reading   
this? Go to http://lavender.fortunecity.com/flamingos/122 instead, and start   
at the real beginning of the story like you're suppose to!  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AND NOW ON WITH....  
  
  
Chapter 1: Three to six.  
  
  
It was a warm afternoon as Bulma drove back home. With the window pulled   
down, she could feel how the wind blew against her face. Even though she   
could use the air conditioner instead, the president of Capsule Corps   
preferred this alternative way of cooling-off.   
Sometimes people take little things like this for granted. Even if getting   
your hair refreshed while driving isn't the most thrilling experience at   
hand to some people, still, it was one of those little simple things that   
Bulma enjoyed fully. Maybe it sounded silly, but it was all those little   
things that made her feel alive.   
Alive and happy.  
Several years back she wouldn't have looked at all those things the way she   
did now. It's amazing how a war can change a person's point of view. And how,   
when your life is at stake, you learn to appreciate all those things you   
overlooked before.  
  
As she stopped the hover-craft inside the Capsule Corps lot, she noticed   
another particular vehicle parked inside.  
  
[That's odd.] she thought. [I thought he was going to be out.]  
  
Once she made her way inside her house, Bulma took out her business jacket   
and hanged it over a nearby rack.  
  
"Trunks? Are you here?" she asked out loud. She didn't get a response.  
  
As she went to her son's room, she knocked on the door and asked the same   
question again, getting the same answer. Supposing he could be using his   
headphones, she decided to open the door instead.  
  
[Nope, not here.] she said to herself, as she looked around the room.  
  
She was about to close the door again when suddenly something caught her   
attention.   
A couple of disks laying on the floor.   
Assuming that Trunks wouldn't mind if she put them back in place, she picked   
them up and read the inscription labeled on them out of curiosity.   
Tenkachi Budokai.   
Each disk featuring the Budokai of a different year.  
  
Bulma couldn't help letting out a little smile as she remembered those times.   
Her son probably spent a lot of time watching these disks. A rather poor way   
of remembering his friends from the past, but it was one of the few things   
he had at hand. Not to mention that since Trunks lacked a mentor/sparing   
partner like Gohan, these disks were probably the only source of martial   
arts knowledge he could get. Aside from Kamesenin (who retired several years   
ago) Trunks was the only warrior left on this planet.   
  
Three years had passed since the Jinzouningen had been destroyed along with   
that monster called Cell. But even if the world was living in peace once   
again, Bulma just couldn't get her son to stop training.  
Not to an insane level like Goku or Vejiita though. Fortunately, Trunks   
found a way to combine both his training and studying in a healthy way, much   
to her mother's relief.   
  
In any case, if right now he wasn't in his chambers, the most likely place   
for him to be in would be the gravity room.  
Bulma placed the disks on Trunks' desk on her way out of the room, careful   
not to put anything out of place. Her son wouldn't like if she accidentally   
misplaced one of his blueprints.   
  
Once that was done, she headed for the nearest computer screen. As the image   
of the gravity room became visible once she turned the screen on, she began   
to hear a voice puffing and breathing hard.  
The owner of such voice became visible as well in one of the corners of the   
room.   
  
Dressed in a black undershirt and gray trousers, the muscular Saiyajin hybrid   
was doing one hand pushups. His long hair turned golden and curved upwards   
clearly showed that he was in Super Saiyanjin form.  
  
"Trunks." Bulma began through the intercom, "I thought you went out?"  
  
"Hi, mom." the guy replied. "I was, but not for long."  
  
"I'm fixing some coffee," his mother went on, "do you care to join me?"  
  
"Be there in a minute. Just let me take a quick shower."   
  
In a matter of minutes, Bulma was already pouring some coffee inside two   
mugs. Her son joined her shortly after with a towel over his shoulders, as   
he rubbed his long purple hair dry.   
Bulma took a seat and handed him his respective mug.   
  
"I thought you were going out with Tikka this afternoon." she opened up in a   
straight forward way.  
  
"I was with her a couple of hours ago." he explained.  
  
"And? Why are you here now?" his mother asked, even though she already knew   
the answer.  
  
"We decided it was time to take separate ways."  
  
"Hmmm..." Bulma said, as she took a sip of coffee. "So it didn't work out, hun?"  
  
"Nope. Not really."  
  
"That's too bad." she stated. "She was a nice girl. Good looks and brains too."  
  
"I guess we didn't find that little *something* in our relationship." Trunks   
pointed out.  
  
Bulma just remained silent to that comment.  
She could understand why Trunks had that obsession with training even though   
there was no apparent reason to do so. Either it had something to do with   
his Saiyajin blood or just a sense of duty since now he was the only warrior   
left and wanted to be prepared in case something showed up.   
But when it came to his son's social life, mainly girlfriends, she just   
couldn't figure him out. None of his girlfriends lasted more than a couple   
of months.   
At first, Bulma found this natural. Trunks never had any real experiences   
with girls while being a teenager due to two particular androids on the   
rampage which made 'normal life' quite impossible. Therefore dating several   
girls was understandable in order to catch up for lost time. But still,   
Bulma thought of it as just a phase her son would be going through.   
Eventually he would find the right girl and never let her go.  
That moment hadn't arrived yet, even if her son was now twenty five years old.  
  
"You looked really happy with her." Bulma commented.   
  
"At first." Trunks began. "But as time went on I realized we didn't really   
had too much in common. It just didn't work out in the end."   
  
"Oh?" his mother inquired. Trunks could sense a drop of sarcasm in her voice.   
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but it didn't work out because you didn't want it   
to work out."  
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
"Answer me something." she went on, "Were you the one who suggested to end   
this relationship, or was it Tikka?"  
  
Trunks remained silent to that comment.  
  
"I'm not lecturing you, Trunks." she made clear, "But I can't help noticing   
that your girlfriend situation is pretty lame. I don't want to rush you in   
getting married, especially if you don't want to, but each time you have a   
girlfriend you end up dumping her two months later."  
  
"It's just that..." the Saiyajin hybrid began, "I can't seem to find the right   
girl. I guess I'm the one to blame. Maybe my 'ideal girl' is a little...   
unattainable."  
  
"Trunks," Bulma said, "if you want a relationship to work, you have to *make   
it* work. If that wasn't the case, how do you think I had you in the first   
place?"  
  
Trunks couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the thought of Vejiita and her mom   
quarreling on almost every subject.  
  
"I guess dad must have been quite a handful." he pointed out.  
  
"We both had our differences. Huge differences." she went on, "But that's   
just part of growing up. You shouldn't feel discourage just because of some   
differences with your girlfriend."  
  
"Maybe I just need some time to think this over." Trunks responded.  
  
"That might work." his mother added. "If it doesn't, then don't worry too   
much about it either. I'm sure you'll find the right girl eventually."  
  
"You really think so?"  
  
"Well of course I do!" Bulma stated as she got up from her seat and put her   
hands on her hips, "After all you're my son and inherited my good looks.   
It's only natural that you'll find the perfect girl."  
  
Trunks just chuckled to that statement. His mother could act so much like   
Vejiita when 'good looks' were discussed.  
  
"So, would you like another cup of coffee?"   
  
"Thanks, mom. But I think I'll go out anyway." he responded.  
  
"Movies?"  
  
"Nah, I think I'll just cruise around for a while."  
  
"Don't forget to put your sweater on." she joked.  
  
"Yes, 'mother'."   
  
Before she even had time to put the two mugs on the washing machine, the   
intercom rang. As the screen descended from the roof, Bulma saw the image of   
a woman with long dark hair with green tones at the entrance.  
  
"Yes?" she asked, "What may I do for you?"  
  
"Excuse me," the visitor began, "I'm looking for a person responding to the   
name of Trunks. I was told he lived here."  
  
"Just a minute. Who should I tell him is looking for him?"  
  
"He doesn't know me, but you can tell him my name is Setsuna Meiou."  
  
"Business?"  
  
"Personal matters."  
  
As she pressed a button on a nearby keypad, Bulma opened the door and let   
the visitor inside. She then switched channels and contacted her son.  
  
"Trunks, there's someone here to see you." she said.  
  
"Not another one of those..."  
  
"She doesn't look to be one of those." she interrupted, "Her name is Setsuna   
Meiou. Good looking if you ask me. I'll show her to the living room and   
leave you two alone so you can enjoy some... 'privacy'." as she winked.  
  
Trunks just rolled his eyes. His mother really seam to enjoy teasing him   
with every girl that showed up in the house.  
  
He made his way towards the living room and spotted the woman in question,   
dressed in a conservative brown suite.   
Her long dark hair reached below her waist, but what caught Trunks'   
attention the most was her inexpressive crimson eyes.  
  
"Miss, Meiou?" he began.  
  
"Yes. You must be Trunks-san." she responded.  
  
"Please take a seat. What can I do for you?" he asked. [If she answers 'the   
question is what can *I* do for *you*' then I might as well get ready to   
tell her to go home.]  
  
"Trunks-san..."  
  
"Just Trunks will be fine."  
  
"Very well... Trunks." Setsuna acknowledged, "I'll be brief. I come from a   
place far away from here, and my sole purpose to be here tonight, under your   
roof, is to ask something of you."  
  
"I'm listening." he told her. [Here it comes now...]  
  
"First I would like to ask you a question." the visitor pointed out. "I'm   
not very familiar in how many years had passed in this world. Can you tell   
me exactly where were you three years from today?"  
  
Trunks was a little surprised by the question, it being something he   
obviously wasn't expecting. *Everyone* knew what happened three years ago.   
Whoever this woman was, she was starting to act strange. Then again, this   
might be some sort of trick question.  
  
"Three years ago, I was here." he responded, getting a little suspicious.   
"That's when I defeated the Jinzouningen."  
  
"I see." the lady responded. "If I understand correctly, you previously used   
a time machine in order to go back in time. The purpose was to give a friend   
of yours a medicine that would heal his very delicate heart condition,   
therefore changing the timeline of this world for the best."  
  
Trunks looked at her with wide eyes. How could this woman possibly know   
about the 'Hope'? More importantly how could she know about that and not   
know about the defeat of the Jinzouningen?   
This was getting more fishy by the moment. The existence of the 'Hope' was   
known to a number of few selected people, mainly because Bulma wisely   
thought that if everybody knew about the time machine, several persons would   
intent to get their hands on it, therefore causing some major problems.  
  
Trunks go up from his seat, looking firmly at his guest.  
  
"Who are you really? And who sent you here?" he asked determinedly.  
  
"It's a little complicated." the woman stated, as she got up as well. Her   
tone of voice didn't show any sign of weakness. "Answering to your second   
question first, I came here by my own free will. I work for no one and   
everyone at the same time. As for my true identity..."  
  
The purple hair hybrid saw how the woman pulled some sort of small rod out   
of her pocket. Trunks immediately took a defensive stance. If that lady   
revealed herself to be an enemy, he'd make sure to take care of her fast.  
Setsuna raised her heshin rod.   
  
"PLUTO PLANET POWER, MAKEUP!!"  
  
As soon as those words were spoken, her entire body was consumed in a bright   
light which blinded Trunks momentarily. As the light fade out, Setsuna was   
revealed wearing her Sailor Senshi outfit.  
  
"I'm Sailor Pluto, guardian of time." she concluded.  
  
Trunks looked shocked. That outfit shook up some old memories inside his   
brain. Even though it had been several years since he last saw a girl   
dressed in that particular getup, the memory was still there. Although,   
quite frankly, he never expected to see that attire ever again.  
  
"Sa... Sailor Senshi..." he whispered, as he got his voice back.  
  
Steps could be heard approaching the room where the two of them were.  
  
"Trunks, what was that noise?" Bulma asked as she made her way into the   
living room. She suddenly stopped as she saw Sailor Pluto. "What the... Son,   
who is this? And where is miss Meiou?"  
  
"This *is* miss Meiou..." Trunks responded, sounding very doubtful.  
  
  
  
End of Chapter 1.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Author's notes:  
  
I bet right now you must be asking yourselves: What??? Trunks is 25??? How   
come???  
Anyway, here's the explication.  
For what I've been told, the time machine known as the 'Hope' takes up to   
three years to charge. So here is how the aging process goes.   
17 years old Trunks goes to the past to give Goku his medicine. Then he goes   
back to his own world. To meet with the Z-senshi once again he must wait 3   
years for the battery to charge up again. Therefore Trunks is 20 when   
visiting the past for a second time. Then he spends 2 years training in the   
room of spirit and time which made him 22 years old. Cell kicks the bucket   
and he goes back to his time. First thing he does is destroy the androids.   
Three years later, when he's 25, Cell (of that reality) shows up and Trunks   
blasts him into dust.   
  
For this fanfic, I did some modifications on that last part. Trunks kills   
the Jinzouningen and immediately kills Cells after that. Then he spent three   
years doing... I'm not telling ^_^.  
  
Anyway, aside from the fact that now he's 25 and has long hair (enough to   
make a decent ponytail this time) that's all you need to know for now. The   
rest will be explained along the fanfic.  
  
  
See you in chapter 2...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 2

Dragon Ball Z/ Sailor Moon/ Ranma ½ fanfic.  
  
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."  
  
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)  
  
  
Warning: All characters from this fanfic are copyright from Akira   
Toriyama (Dragon Ball Z), Naoko Takeuchi (Sailor Moon) and Rumiko Takahashi   
(Ranma ½) so don't sue me. By the way, also worth mentioning, this story is   
a sequel to my other fanfic "Boy meets girls". In other words, there will be   
a lot of things you won't understand in this story if you haven't read "Boy   
meets girls" (and its side stories) first. If that's the case... then what   
the Hell are you doing here still reading this? Go to   
http://lavender.fortunecity.com/flamingos/122 instead, and start at the   
real beginning of the story like you're suppose to!  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AND NOW ON WITH....  
  
  
Chapter 2:   
Decision making process: first predicament.  
  
  
  
Ukyou Kuonji took a moment to sit back and relax. Rush hour was finally over   
so she didn't had to attend the grill so urgently.   
Even if she loved cooking okonomiyaki more than anything else, she did   
deserve a rest from her work.   
She undid her ponytail and shook her hair loose.   
  
"Hey, Ucchan." said a voice by the entrance.  
  
The okonomiyaki chef turned around and spotted a girl with long brown hair tied   
up in a ponytail. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans, white shirt and   
green jacket. She also wore a green baseball cap on top of her head.  
  
"Hey, Mako-chan!" Ukyou responded joyfully, "Come in, girl. What brings you   
all the way here?"  
  
"Visiting a friend, what else?" she responded with a smile. She then   
extended a lunch box towards her. "Here."  
  
"Ahhh... what have we here? The famous Kino cookies?" Ukyou declared as she   
opened the box. "Thanks a lot. And what would you like on your okonomiyaki,   
little sister?"  
  
"I know better than to refuse an okonomiyaki from you." she said.  
  
"I guess you had the chance to work an appetite on your way here."  
  
"Hmmm... how about a sea food special." Makoto responded.  
  
"One sea food special coming right up."  
  
Ukyou took two spatulas and began preparing the order. Makoto took a seat in   
front of the grill, so she could carry on with the conversation.  
  
"So, how's life?" Ukyou began.  
  
"School's okay. Health is good. Basically everything is calm." she briefly   
commented. "Quite boring, huh?"  
  
Ukyou just let out a little chuckle.  
  
"Summer isn't that far away, any plans for your vacations?"  
  
"Nothing really. I think I'll start college hunting." Makoto responded.  
  
"Oh, that's right. This is your last year in High School" her friend told   
her. "Where are you planning to study?."  
  
"I'm still not sure." she responded. "Maybe I'll go to your college so I can   
become a great cook and have my own restaurant just like you, 'big sister'."  
  
That last phrase was said in a rather joking way, but even so, Ukyou knew   
that Makoto was telling the truth. Same as her, cooking meant everything.   
That was certainly why they understood each other so well.  
  
Both began to talk about everything and nothing at the same time. As time   
went on, they were already telling each other funny anecdotes since the last   
time they met. Moments later, several customers began to show up and a crowd   
began to form for dinner, forcing Ukyou out of her chat with Makoto.   
Although she would've like to keep on talking with her friend, she had to   
attend to her business first.   
  
Makoto decided to stand up and put on an apron once she got rid of her   
jacket. She then joined Ukyou by the grill.  
  
"You know you don't have to do this." Ukyou told her, apparently already   
knowing what was on Makoto's mind. "I can handle it."  
  
"Don't be so territorial with your grill, sis." Makoto declared jokingly,   
as she took a pair of spatulas. "There's people waiting for their food, so   
we can't keep them waiting."  
  
Ukyou decided not to insist. She already knew that her brunette friend   
wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.  
  
"If it was anyone else, you know I'd say no." the okonomiyaki chef pointed   
out, "Besides, I guess there's more chances of Ryouga not getting lost than   
you containing your cooking impulses."  
  
"You can keep the grill away from Mako-chan," her friend quote, "but you   
can't keep Mako-chan away from the grill."  
  
**********  
  
  
"Trunks, when were you going to tell me about all this??" Bulma asked rather   
upset.   
  
Right now, Sailor Pluto, Trunks and her were sitting at the kitchen's table.   
It wasn't hard for Bulma to tell that the new visitor had something to do   
with Trunks. Her son's expression was easier to read than an open book for   
her to make that out.   
In order to make things more clear, Pluto explained exactly *where* she knew   
Trunks from, although Trunks apparently didn't knew about her.   
Needless to say that Bulma was upset, not to mention hurt at some point, for   
her son not telling her about his 'little accident' six years ago.  
  
"I... I didn't want you to worry. Since in the end I actually did made it to   
the past, I thought I could just skip the explanation and spare you the   
preoccupation." the Saiyanjin hybrid tried to explain. "I'm sorry."   
  
"You should be!" his mother added. "For crying out loud, Trunk! When you   
came back from your first trip, you told me you spilled some soda on the   
Hope, but you never told me anything about getting stuck in another dimension!   
How could you hide something so important from me?"  
  
"I'm sorry..." Trunks said again, "But at the moment it seemed like the best   
option. I eventually forgot about it."  
  
With a light ahem, Pluto managed to cut into the family discussion and get   
her two hosts' attention again.   
  
"Forgive me for interrupting, but I didn't came here only to spread the word   
on your son's past actions." she said.  
  
Both mother and son left their little dispute for later and paid attention   
to the dimension traveling woman. If she came all the way to their   
dimension, it was quite evident she had something important to tell.  
  
"You earlier told me you came here to ask something from me." Trunks   
recalled.   
  
"Yes." she validated. "I am here to ask for your help."  
  
"My help?"  
  
Pluto just nodded.  
  
"You see," she began, "like I told you before, back in my dimension, I am   
known as the guardian of time. I have the ability to see into the future and   
my primary mission is to make things unfold the way they're suppose to."  
  
"Excuse me for cutting in." Bulma interrupted, "But if your job is to keep   
things in order, how come you didn't show up when Trunks accidentally   
entered your dimension and fix the whole thing?"  
  
"When your son 'crashed' in our world, it wasn't the right time for me to   
show up." Pluto explained simply.  
  
"Right time?"  
  
"If I would've interfered at that moment, it would have affected the   
timeline severely." she went on, "As troublesome as your son's interference   
was at that time, it was for the best for me not to appear."  
  
Trunks felt uncomfortable with that remark. Even though Setsuna was right   
about him being responsible for the monsters that showed up, a little tact   
when explaining things to his mother would be appreciated.  
  
"Anyway," the dark haired woman continued, "back to what I was about to tell   
you, one day, I felt a new presence approaching our world. Immediately after   
that, I sensed how the fabric of time and space was ripped open. I tried to   
investigate the source of the problem, but a strange energy kept me at bay.   
The only thing I know is that a new enemy has arrived."  
  
"Did they entered the same way I did six years ago?" Trunks asked, taking   
Pluto's story very seriously.  
  
"I suspect these 'visitors', shall we call them, entered our dimension   
through the hole you formed in the past."  
  
"But I thought if I just went back to my world, the hole would be fixed."   
the Saiyajin hybrid pointed out.  
  
"It was fixed." Pluto pointed out. "But just the way broken bones can be   
healed, they become fragile and can't endure pressure like they did before.   
In other words, although the damage was repaired, the barrier separating our   
world with the other realities just isn't as strong as it used to be."  
  
"That means there are monsters from different dimensions invading your world   
again." Trunks stated, as he put the pieces of the puzzle together.  
  
"That is incorrect."  
  
Trunks just traveled his hands along his face in frustration. This was   
getting complicated.  
  
"The reason why we're not experiencing the same events we did three years   
ago is due to the same energy that kept me at bay while wanting to   
investigate. It appears to serve as some sort of door for the exclusive use   
of our 'visitors'. I suspect it's a direct passage between their world and   
ours, not like last time where it was just a hole, open to everyone who   
happened to wander through hyperspace." Pluto explained.  
  
Trunks raised an eyebrow.   
Three years ago?  
Has it only been three years in that dimension?  
He made a note to ask Pluto more about that later on.  
  
"What I don't understand," Bulma cut in, "is what makes you think these   
'visitors' mean any harm."  
  
"As I told you before," Pluto began, "As a guardian of time, I'm always   
able to sense ahead any change in the timeline, no matter how insignificant   
that change is. However, I can only sense changes that occur in *my*   
dimension. In other words..."  
  
"If something 'happened' without you noticing it first," Bulma continued,   
"It means the source of the change came from another dimension. Am I right?"  
  
Setsuna nodded.  
  
"You still haven't answered my question though." the president of Capsule   
Corp. pointed out. "What makes you think your visitors mean any harm?"  
  
"As I told you before, another one of my 'skills' is to travel through time."   
she carried on. "Concerned about the current situation, I decided to take a   
look into the future... I saw nothing."  
  
"If nothing happened in the future then it's probably nothing serious."   
Bulma remarked.  
  
"I'm afraid I didn't make myself clear." Setsuna said, "There was *nothing*   
in the future. No future, no nothing. My world ceased to exist."  
  
The two hosts shared a preoccupied look.  
The conversation had sunk in one of those uncomfortable pauses.  
  
"You came here to ask my help." Trunks began, braking the silence. "I assume   
you want me to go back to your world and help the Senshi with this new enemy."  
  
"Even though brining someone from a different reality into our world is   
something that goes completely against the things I stand for... yes. I came   
here to ask for your help. If I recall correctly, you posses an incredible   
power. Strong enough to destroy an entire planet without any effort. If the   
enemy I fear is somehow related with this reality, I'm afraid your strength   
will be decisive in this battle."  
  
Bulma analyzed the situation carefully.  
Could an enemy from this dimension be the cause of all this?  
It certainly would explain why they used the same 'door' Trunks did in the   
past. Not to mention that all the enemies they had encountered so far had   
enough power to blow up the Earth, which would add up to Pluto's vision of   
the future quite nicely.  
She turned around to look at son. He seemed to be thinking very deeply about   
this dilemma as well.  
  
"If I go back..." Trunks started, "I'll cause an unbalancement on your world   
again."  
  
"The reason you caused an unbalancement the last time, was due to the way   
you entered our dimension." Pluto explained, "If we do it my way, there   
won't be any trouble."  
  
"Still..." the Saiyajin hybrid went on. "Just by the fact of me *being* there,   
I'll affect the timeline."  
  
"Yes, that can not be helped," Pluto affirmed, "But in order to have a   
future, it is a small price to pay."  
  
Another uncomfortable pause had risen.   
Trunks had his arms crossed over his chest and eyes closed.  
  
Bulma was surprised at some point in how her son was hesitating on his   
decision. She knew him well. Maybe even better than anyone. This behavior   
was definitively not the usual one. Trunks was always willing to help if   
asked to. Most of the times without even being asked. Right now he should be   
packing his things and telling her not to worry, that he would be back after   
taking care of things.  
Something about all this was fishy. Something surely happened to her son on   
his stay on that other dimension in order to make him hesitate this much.   
But what could that be?  
  
Trunks let out a big sigh.  
All of this was happening too fast. He still hadn't recovered from the shock   
of seeing a Sailor Senshi at his doorstep, and now he was being asked to   
return to the world he'd thought he'd never return to.   
He had long ago abandoned the idea of going back to Tokyo. After all, he had   
first crashed there (literally speaking) due to some stupid accident.  
A *very* stupid accident.  
The possibilities of repeating that event was probably one in a million, if   
not more. Not to mention that the thought of putting that dimension in   
danger by his mere presence, was quite enough to convince him he'd never   
return there.  
And now, this woman was asking him to come back.  
  
But things were different now.  
Things had changed.  
He had changed.  
And most probably, Makoto and the others had gone through some changes as   
well.  
How was he suppose to behave in front of the Senshis, and mostly Makoto,   
when showing up after so long? How was Makoto suppose to react?  
  
He could say no... but that would be turning his back on the ones who needed   
him.   
That would be cowardice.   
That would be ignoring his responsibilities, since he did feel responsible   
for the dimension hole he caused in the first place.   
And most of all, that would be going against everything that he was.   
Everything his mother taught him to be.  
Everything *he* learned to be.  
  
First thing was first. He was responsible for that dimension hole which was   
being used by the enemy. Therefore, it was up to him to clean up his own   
mess, especially since the lives of others were involved.  
  
Trunks got up from his seat and looked directly at Setsuna. His eyes filled   
with determination.  
  
"I'll help." he said simply.  
  
Bulma let out a small smile.  
He had her worried there, for a second. It was good to know that in spite of  
the problems her son had left behind in that dimension (which ever those   
were), he remained firm in his decision to help others.  
  
"But I just want to ask a favor in return." Trunks added, taking the two   
women by surprise.  
  
"A favor?" Setsuna asked, managing very well in hiding her preoccupation   
about this.  
  
"I want my stay on your dimension to remain a secret from the other Senshi."   
he explained. "The only persons who should know about my presence should be   
you... and one other."  
  
  
**********  
  
Makoto finished washing the last set of plates.   
As she walked out of the kitchen, she saw Ukyou putting away her broom.   
Apparently she was done too.  
All of the customers had left and the 'close' sign was already up. The only   
thing left to do was cleaning up the place, thing which was already taken   
care of.  
  
Both girls sat down, letting out big sighs. They laughed shortly after   
seeing how they so spontaneously mimicked each other's actions.  
  
"That was a lot of work." Makoto commented.   
  
"That's every Friday for ya." Ukyou responded. "Thanks for the help."  
  
"Don't mention it. My pleasure." her friend stated. "What time is it anyway?"  
  
"Late enough for you not to find a ride home." the okonomiyaki chef declared,   
as she consulted the clock near the kitchen.  
  
"Aww, man... Ten o'clock? I completely lost track of time."  
  
"I think you should better stay here for the night." Ukyou suggested. "You   
look too tired to make it home in one piece."  
  
"Won't I be a bother?" Makoto asked. Although she already knew what was   
Ukyou going to say.  
  
"You know you're always welcome here. Mi casa, es su casa (*)." Ukyou told   
her, as she got up. "Com'on, I have a spare futon upstairs."   
  
Ukyou's place didn't exactly count with a lot of space, since the entire   
first floor was used for the restaurant. Not to mention that she also lived   
by herself and only needed what was necessary. However, her room was large   
enough to guest another person.  
After unrolling the futon next to Ukyou's bed and turning off the lights,   
both girls were ready to get some sleep.  
  
"Thanks again for everything." Makoto told her host, as she rested her head   
on the pillow.  
  
"Don't mention it." her friend said from her bed, "Anything for my little   
sister."  
  
"I'm flattered." Makoto declared. "Does that mean that I can crash in here   
at any time?"  
  
"Any time."   
  
"No matter what time or day?"  
  
"No matter the time or day."  
  
"Really?" Makoto asked, in a joking tone.  
  
"Yes. Really."  
  
"So, if Ranma suddenly knocked on your door in the middle of the night,   
confessed his feelings towards you and took you upstairs to make passionate   
love, wouldn't I be a bother?" the girls asked trying to sound as innocent   
as she could.  
  
She didn't wait long before Ukyou gave her an answer in the form of a pillow   
hitting against her face.  
  
"You little pervert!" she said, although her words didn't sound insulting   
in the least. "I'll show you to tease your big sister."  
  
Makoto couldn't help laughing even though her host was still hitting her   
with her pillow. She managed to curve into a ball to protect herself from   
the ongoing attack until she finally took her own pillow to defend herself.  
Both girls kept on laughing until they got tiered and laid down again.  
  
"You're incorrigible." Ukyou declared, as she finally calmed down. "But   
still..."  
  
"What?" Makoto asked as she calmed down as well.  
  
"*If* Ranma showed up at my doorstep proposing me that," the okonomiyaki   
chef went on, "I wouldn't chase you out."  
  
Makoto couldn't help to blink. Surprised at some extent that her friend put   
*her* before Ranma.  
  
"What I would do..." Ukyou continued, "Is ask Ranma if he wouldn't mind a   
threesome with you in it."  
  
This time Makoto was the one who used her pillow as a weapon and hit Ukyou   
directly in the face.  
  
"You pervert!" she stated, unable to hide her laughter. "How dare you make   
fun of your little sister like that??"  
  
"Takes one to know one!" Ukyou declared, as she took cover. "Now we're even!"  
  
"I hope you learned some martial arts pillow fighting, because you're really   
going to need it now!" the tall brunette teased, as she kept her assault.  
  
Both girls went on with their little friendly fight until they eventually   
got tired and fell asleep.   
In spite of visiting her friend only once or twice a moth, Makoto just   
couldn't feel happier about her relationship with Ukyou. The two of them   
shared some sort of complete mutual understanding.   
  
This didn't mean that Makoto put her Senshi friends aside. Each one of them   
had a place in her heart and she would gladly risk her own life for them   
(thing she had already done when fighting Sailor Galaxia.).   
Ukyou was a little different. Not in terms of if she liked her more or less   
than her other friends, but mainly because she was very much like her.   
Independent. Solitary but yet cheerful around her closest friends. Had the   
soul of a real fighter. They had more or less the same wounds in what   
boyfriends were concerned. And they both shared the same passion for cooking.  
  
In general terms, Ukyou was like her soulmate.   
Or 'big sister' like she put it.  
After all, even when their age difference was by merely two years, Makoto   
looked up at Ukyou for being able to handle her business and college at the   
same time. So in a way she did look at her as her big sister. And Ukyou in   
return had 'adopted' her as her little sister.  
  
**********  
  
Eron sat back on his chair, arms crossed behind his head.   
This lair was definitively not as complete as his lab, but he expected that   
when he took the job. It would just have to do until they manage to expand   
further in this world.   
  
Everything was set.  
It was just a matter of time before this mission entered the next phase.   
In the meantime, the only thing Eron had to do was wait.  
  
With a heavy sigh, the scientist got up from his chair and took a few steps   
towards the window in his office.   
The city was covered with lights and crowded with activity in spite of the   
time it was. Eron was very unimpressed by this view.  
Arlakk and Sorine had already finished with their investigation and had   
found nothing relevant.   
This place was dull.  
  
[Looks like once again, our Lord will be the only one to gain something out   
of this.] Eron though, as he traveled his sight around the streets   
underneath him.  
  
Still, even if his two coworkers had found nothing of interest concerning   
Magic or Hi-Tech, Eron was far from being pessimistic. His experience with   
previous missions had shown him that 'the best' didn't appear when you   
looked for it, but when *it* came looking for you. Arlakk and Sorine, not   
surprisingly, thought the same way. It was still too soon to tell what this   
world had to offer.  
  
"I have very high expectations in you, Tokyo," he said softly, "Be sure not   
to disappoint me."  
  
A knock on the door broke the silence which reigned in Eron's office.  
  
"Come in." the scientist said, without taking his view off the window.  
  
A short girl with curly blond hair entered the room. Wearing a white   
lab robe and spectacles, she gave the clear impression of being someone   
more into the intellectual area than physical. Her slim body pointed that   
out as well.  
  
"Master Eron," she began, "I'm back."  
  
"Did you had an interesting evening, Arna?" this last one asked, as he   
finally turned around to see her.  
  
"Yes." the girl stated, "This world has an interesting history and culture.   
I believe the Lord will be satisfied with what we'll bring him."  
  
"Very good." Eron acknowledged. "I assume it only took you a couple of hours   
to learn everything we need to know."  
  
Arna just nodded in response.  
  
"Although I'm afraid I failed in finding something of interest for you,   
Master Eron." she went on. "These humans hold no special attributes that   
could serve your research."  
  
"Don't be troubled by that." the scientist told her.   
  
He then came closer to the girl and put his hand on top of her head, unaware   
that this caused his assistant to blush.  
  
"You're still new with the way we work," he continued. "But believe me when   
I say that we shouldn't judge this world by the first look."  
  
"Yes, sir..." she said shyly.  
  
"In any case," Eron brought out, "We have to report to our Lord now. I'm   
sure what you learned will interest him."  
  
"Yes, sir." Arna acknowledged. "By the way, Master Eron..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
The girl pulled out some sort of small pendant out of her pocket. After   
close examination, Eron realized it was more like an inscription hanging by   
a little sting. The writing of the inscription was unknown to him, but he   
assumed it was one of those Japanese characters the inhabitants of this   
country used to express words or thoughts.  
Arna's face had turned deep red when she extended the item to his superior.  
  
"I... I wanted to give you this..." she said nervously.  
  
"And what exactly is this?" Eron asked, as he took the object in his hand.  
  
"It's some sort of talisman, popular within the Japanese culture," his   
assistant explained, "It... it's suppose to bring good luck on the one who   
wears it... I thought... I thought you might like it."  
  
"humph A fetish." the scientist interpreted. "Arna, you should know by now   
that the success of our mission doesn't depend on luck."  
  
"I... uh... yes, sir..." she said ashamed, as she lowered her head.  
  
"Still..." Eron went on, "I have to admit that the idea of using a talisman   
from this world to grant us luck in our conquest is rather ironical. I have   
to give you credit for that. Nice touch."  
  
Arna raised her eyes again. Somehow, she felt better after her superior made   
that comment. Eron put the talisman inside his pocket and then placed his   
hand on Arna's shoulder.   
  
"Come." he told her, "We mustn't keep our Lord waiting."  
  
Before leaving by the door, Eron took one last look through his window.  
  
[I'm going to hit you hard, Tokyo.] he thought. [So make this interesting.]  
  
  
**********  
  
  
The Capsule Corp. turbo jet flew trough the sky with both Sailor Pluto and   
Trunks as it's passengers.  
The purple haired Saiyajin hybrid had told his mother he wanted to see   
Karin-sama and get some senzus for his trip. He also insisted in taking   
Sailor Pluto with him for the ride so she could fill him in on the details   
of his mission.  
Truth be told, Trunks wanted to ask Setsuna about matters he didn't want   
Bulma to find out.   
At least not yet.  
  
Ten minutes after they both took off, Trunks finally manage to form a   
question.  
  
"Sailor Pluto," he began, "I'd like to know how much I altered the timeline   
when I last entered your dimension."  
  
His passenger paused before answering.   
  
"There were some changes, but fortunately I managed to keep things under   
control." she said simply. "Even though your coexistence with the Sailor   
Senshi was noticeable during your stay, no major disturbance in the   
timeline was done."  
  
"But there *was* a change."  
  
"Yes, but minimal."   
  
A few minutes passed in silence then after.   
  
"And how are the Senshi doing?" he asked. "Are they okay?"  
  
"The Sailor Senshi have passed through many tests these last three years."   
she responded. "Their determination and mutual friendship has helped them a   
great deal in obtaining victory. Aside from that, their lives have been   
rather calm."  
  
"So, are they happy?"  
  
"Yes, you could say that in general terms they are."  
  
"And... uh..." Trunks continued, "How is Makoto Kino doing?"  
  
Setsuna was already expecting this particular question. Actually, she saw   
it coming a mile away and was certain that was the main reason why Trunks   
wanted her to tag along in the first place.  
  
"Makoto Kino, or Sailor Jupiter, is doing well." she said simply.  
  
"That's... good to hear."  
  
Trunks didn't knew what to ask then after, not to mention that his passenger   
wasn't very talkative either, which made things even more difficult. Still,   
he did want to learn a little more about that particular senshi.  
  
"Did the minor changes you mentioned earlier are somehow related to her?" he   
asked a second time.  
  
"Everything we do now will somehow affect the people near us tomorrow."   
Pluto declared, while making a great job in not answering the question   
directly. "In any case, do not be worried. As I told you before, Makoto is   
doing fine."  
  
Trunks just remained silent.  
  
"There's Karin-sama's tower." he stated, changing the subject.  
  
Up ahead, the Senshi of change could see an enormous pillar rising   
majestically towards the heavens and with several engravings going from   
bottom to top. She was unable to see where the column ended though, but she   
assumed that the engravings kept on going till the top of the pillar, which   
was probably above the clouds or maybe even higher.  
  
Trunks pressed a few buttons, making the craft slow down and moving   
vertically like a helicopter.   
After finally reaching the top, a big oval shaped chamber, he set the craft   
in auto-pilot which kept it hovering in mid air. Once the cockpit opened, he   
helped Pluto out of the jet and turned it back into a capsule.  
  
"Karin-sama!" Trunks said out loud, "Are you here?"  
  
"Where else could I be?" said a voice approaching from the stairway.  
  
Pluto couldn't believe her eyes.  
A cat? The so called *Karin-sama*... was a cat?   
A human looking cat?   
A human looking cat with a cane?  
The most logical thing to do right now was sweatdropping. Thing Setsuna did   
quite well in spite of not being familiar with the technique.  
  
"Karin-sama," Trunks began, "I wanted to ask you something."  
  
"I know." the cat said, "Remember I can read minds. You're going on a trip."  
  
"That's right." Trunks nodded.  
  
"And this lady must be the reason you're leaving, I suppose." Karin-sama   
pointed out, as he turned towards Pluto.  
  
"Pleased to meet you." the tall senshi said politely, "My name is Sailor   
Pluto."  
  
"Charmed." the owner of the tower added, he then turned towards Trunks again,   
"I sense you're in a hurry, I'll get you the senzu seeds."   
  
"Thank you very much." the purple haired man replied. "But I'd like to   
ask two other things from you as well, if it's not too much trouble."  
  
  
Moments later, back in Capsule Corps:  
  
"Here's everything you'll need." Bulma stated, as she showed her son a case   
with several capsules in it. "Since we're not sure how long you'll stay in   
Sailor Pluto's world, I added a special kit that will allow you to forge a   
new ID and all the papers you need."  
  
"Thanks, mom," Trunks told her, "That will really come in handy. It'll save   
me a lot of trouble too."  
  
"There's also a few modifications I did on your wristwatch." she added,   
"Asides from the map view option, I inserted a device which will allow you   
to change into your body armor by pressing this red button. Just press the   
blue button if you want to change back into your normal clothes."  
  
"You always think of everything." Trunks chuckled. He then put on the watch.  
  
"One last thing," Bulma declared, as she picked up a small artifact from a   
nearby desk, "Here."  
  
"What's this?" her son asked, as he examined the object in question.  
  
It appeared to be a portable T.V, which he could easily hold in one hand. It   
had a dark screen and a couple of buttons and switches.   
  
"It's a communicator so I can keep in touch with you." she explained simply.  
  
"You built a communicator to contact me in another reality??" Trunks asked   
completely shocked. "How???"  
  
"Hellooooooo, genius who created a time machine talking here." Bulma   
responded sarcastically. "What else were you expecting from me? I wasn't   
going to let you wander off to some alien reality without making sure you   
were all right."  
  
"But still, How did you manage to build it in such short notice?"   
  
"I built it long ago," she made clear, "I always thought you might want to   
go back to the past again and see Goku and the others. That's why I created   
it in the first place, but I think it can come in handy for this occasion as   
well."  
  
"It really will." Trunks realized, "Although according to Pluto, time in   
this reality passes twice as fast compared to the one I'll be in. I don't   
know if that will have some effect on your communicator."  
  
"Are you questioning your mother's genius?" glared Bulma.  
  
"No, ma'am." her son responded, while taking a step back.  
  
"Try to use it as soon as you get to your destination. I'd like to make sure   
it works."  
  
Trunks nodded and then put the communicator inside his briefcase with his   
capsules. Before he closed it, Bulma pointed out something else.  
  
"I almost forgot." she said, "There's a gravity room in there as well.   
Actually it's the space ship dad built to go to Namekusei, but it has a   
gravity room inside. I thought you might want that."  
  
"It'll help to keep me in shape."  
  
Bulma's son finished packing the rest of his stuff and then stood in front   
of her to say good-bye.   
He still couldn't believe he was actually going back to Tokyo. If five hours   
ago someone asked him what was he going to do, he would have answered "Maybe   
going to the movies" and not "Oh, I think I'll take a walk into another   
dimension".   
All of this was just too sudden.  
Wait a minute... Tikka.  
  
"Uh, mom," he started, "If by any chance Tikka calls, could you... er..."  
  
"Don't worry, I'll think of something." she cut in. "Right now, concentrate   
more in fixing that dimension business."  
  
"I'll try to solve it as soon as possible." he told her.  
  
"sigh Listen, Trunks," Bulma began, "I don't know what kind of mess you   
left behind in that dimension, but I *know* it's more than just a silly   
hole in the fabric of time and space."  
  
"You're still angry at me?"  
  
"You're too old now to be lectured." she responded, "What I do want, is you   
to tell me everything that happened once you come back. I also want you to   
promise me to be careful out there."  
  
"I will."  
  
"Okay, then." she said, "Let's not keep our guest waiting."  
  
  
  
End of chapter 2.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Author's notes:  
  
(*) "Mi casa es su casa" means "My home is your home" in Spanish. I'm not   
implying that Ukyou knows Spanish, this is just one of those common phrases   
everyone knows without even the need to learn Spanish.  
  
BTW, I know I *may* have startled some of you folks with that little sex   
joke Makoto and Ukyou made. Please keep in mind that Ukyou is now 19 and   
Makoto is 17. I'd really like to think that it's a healthy age to talk about   
sex, whether as a joke or not.  
Don't worry though, I think all of you already know I'm not into Lemons, so   
don't worry, this will NOT be a Lemon. But I also ask of you to keep an open   
mind with what I wrote at the beginning of this paragraph.  
  
One more thing. I herd that High School in Japan takes two years only. This   
means that the senshi are about to go to college in this fic. After summer   
that is.  
  
  
See you in chapter 3...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. Chapter 3

Dragon Ball Z/ Sailor Moon/ Ranma ½ fanfic.  
  
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."  
  
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)  
  
  
Warning: All characters from this fanfic are copyright from Akira   
Toriyama (Dragon Ball Z), Naoko Takeuchi (Sailor Moon) and Rumiko Takahashi   
(Ranma ½) so don't sue me. By the way, also worth mentioning, this story is   
a sequel to my other fanfic "Boy meets girls". In other words, there will be   
a lot of things you won't understand in this story if you haven't read "Boy   
meets girls" (and its side stories) first. If that's the case... then what   
the Hell are you doing here still reading this?   
Go to http://lavender.fortunecity.com/flamingos/122 instead, and start at   
the real beginning of the story like you're suppose to!  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AND NOW ON WITH....  
  
  
Chapter 3: In need of your help.  
  
  
Seconds ago, Trunks was traveling through hyperspace while accompanying   
Sailor Pluto. But now he found himself standing inside a completely   
furnished living room.   
He felt a little disorientated at first, but eventually realized he was   
inside an apartment.  
  
As he opened the door leading to the balcony, Trunks took his sight downwards   
to the street.  
Everything was just like he remembered it eight years ago. At least... it   
looked that way.  
  
"This is where you'll be staying." Pluto brought out.  
  
"What?" this one asked, rather surprised.  
  
"Even though I know you have a house of your own inside one of those things,"   
Pluto continued, as she pointed to Trunks' capsule case, "I believe it would   
be better for you to reside in the proximity."  
  
"I see you had everything planned in advance." the Saiyajin hybrid remarked   
with a grin. "But how could you be so sure that I was going to accept   
helping you in the first place?"  
  
"You'll find everything you need here." Pluto went on, ignoring the question.   
Somehow, Trunks began to see that not getting his questions answered by this   
woman was going to be a daily thing.  
  
"Okay then, I guess I can put my stuff away later." the purple haired man   
said, as he put his case on the kitchen table, "So, where do we start?"  
  
"For now, we wait."   
  
"Wait?" he asked, not very convinced, "Can't you take me to the place this   
dimension hole is? At least like that I'll know where will the enemy show up."  
  
"The hole itself does not have a physical form." Pluto explained, "Putting   
it in more practical words, think of the dimension barrier as an alarm   
system in your house. Once a robber has neutralized it, he can enter your   
home as he sees fit. Either by the door, window or chimney."  
  
"In other words, there's no possible way of knowing where will the enemy   
strike." Trunks realized.   
  
"Therefore, we wait."  
  
"Then I guess I better make myself at home."  
  
**********  
  
"Is everything ready?"  
  
"Almost, Master Eron." Arna acknowledged, "DNA code complete. Solid   
structure completed. Nervous system complete. All five senses tested. Adding   
artificial skin."  
  
"Let's try something new this time." Eron interrupted, "Add 5 milliliters of   
formula G-89."  
  
"But, sir," Arna pointed out, "the Raider's nervous system wouldn't be able   
to sustain it for more than 3 minutes before self deteriorating."  
  
Eron just took the formula chart with his hands and studied it closely. Arna   
awaited for her superior's command before proceeding with the experiment.  
  
"Instead of using Vodalian skin, equip the Raider with a Krovikian cover."   
the scientist commanded, "Like that it'll last at least an hour before   
decomposing. That's all the time we need for the experiment."  
  
"Yes, sir," Arna obeyed, "Inserting Krovikian skin."  
  
"Let's see what effect our little cocktail will have with the residents of   
Juuban." Eron declared with a grin. "I'm getting front seats for this event."  
  
**********  
  
//Not a bad place, if you ask me.// said the voice coming from Trunks'   
communicator.  
  
He took the device away from the window and looked back into the screen.  
  
"Yeah," Trunks said, "the technology here isn't as advanced as ours, but   
there's everything I'll need."  
  
//That's good to know.//  
  
"Anyway, I guess I'll contact you often. Looks like your communicator works   
like a charm."  
  
"Was there ever any doubt?" Bulma asked, quite sure of herself. "Well, take   
care of yourself. Bye."  
  
With the turn of a switch, the screen went black again.   
Trunks put the device on a bookshelf, where it would always be at hand.   
After all, there was no point in carrying it everywhere.  
  
Sailor Pluto was just sitting eyes closed on a nearby couch. Apparently not   
doing much. Trunks was about to talk to her when he suddenly felt something.   
Actually, he felt several things. Five power levels moving in group.   
Setsuna took that time to open her eyes.   
  
"The enemy is making his move." she said simply, without even explaining how   
she found out or assumed that Trunks knew as well. "The Sailor Senshi are on   
their way."  
  
"Damn it!" Trunks cursed, "I can't fight now, I haven't had the chance   
to see her yet!"  
  
"Let us go there." Pluto told him. "Don't worry, I doubt you'll have to   
interfere in this fight."  
  
"How can you be so sure?"  
  
Without answering, Pluto took her scepter and created a portal in front of   
them. She then gestured Trunks to go inside.  
  
"I just know." she said.  
  
For a second time on the same day, the Saiyajin hybrid was dazed once he   
crossed through the portal. He hoped that he would eventually get use to this   
alternative way of traveling.  
As he opened his eyes, Trunks realized that he and Pluto were now outdoors.   
On top of a building's roof to be more precise.  
  
Trunks sensed how the five power levels he felt earlier were closer now, and   
moving even closer with each passing second.   
Yet, that wasn't all.   
Another presence caught his attention. This one was even closer, but also   
weaker. As a matter of fact, its power level was pathetically low. But then   
again, since he remembered that the creatures in this universe weren't as   
strong as the ones back home, it should be considered, in relative terms, as   
a threat towards the locals of Juuban.  
  
The owner of such power level didn't take too long in showing up. The   
numerous screams from the people below helped a lot in pinpointing the   
location of the creature as well.  
  
Definitively something he hadn't seen before.   
Whatever this thing was, it was something new to both Trunks and Setsuna.  
A muscular humanoid creature about eight feet tall, covered in a bright red   
skin which not only seemed to reflect the sunlight, but actually create a   
light of its own as well. Trunks couldn't be too sure on that.  
Aside from the default big claws and fangs, the creature's body didn't seem   
to have any other additional features. It's face was rather simple as well.   
It resembled a cat, except with very long ears pointed upwards like a pair   
of antennas.  
  
[I have to stop that thing before it hurts more people!] thought the purple   
haired man.  
  
As if she knew what was on the Saiyajin's mind, Pluto grabbed him by the   
shoulder. Not that she had enough strength to hold him down, but at least   
the gesture was enough to make Trunks understand he should stay by her side.  
  
"Not now." she said calmly.  
  
Trunks was about to protest when the five auras he felt finally showed up.  
He was very surprised when he found out those were the Sailor Senshi.  
  
Yes, he did knew that the senshi had some sort of weird power. Weird in   
terms of 'it not being ki', like his. But still, the energy the five of them   
were manifesting could be sensed the same way.   
Never the less, compared to what he sensed years ago, this new power was   
different.   
Stronger, that was sure. In the past, the five of them weren't nearly as   
strong as they were now.  
Alas he couldn't tell more, this energy they used was still a mystery to him   
in order to reach any real conclusion.  
  
The second thing that caught his attention was Sailor Moon's getup.  
The last time, all of them had identical costumes, which made it difficult   
to tell who was the leader of all five.  
Now things were different. Her three layer skirt, round shoulder pads,   
decorated gloves and especially the pair of wings which stretched out of   
Sailor Moon's uniform clearly proved that she was in command.  
  
Third thing which caught his attention: Sailor Jupiter.  
Trunks had several mixed up feelings about this.  
Joy, sadness, relief, fear, admiration and probably many others he hadn't   
identified yet.   
All of it just came down to one thing. It made him nervous.  
  
There she was, standing gloriously with her hands on her hips. Even more   
beautiful than he remembered her. Even though the other senshi were   
beautiful as well, to his eyes, none of the four matched Jupiter's charm.  
  
Trunks shook that thought out of his head.   
He couldn't afford to think of her like that again.  
  
So much had changed.  
  
"You, there!!" shouted Sailor Moon to the monster. "How dare you invade the   
streets used by innocent bystanders who want to go to their jobs and   
families!! Streets are no place for monsters with bad intentions! I'm a   
champion of love and Justice! I'm Eternal Sailor Moon!! And I shall punish   
you in the name of the Moon!"  
  
This little speech not only didn't impress the monster, but it also made a   
particular sweat drop fall from behind Trunks' head.  
  
[Then again... I guess some things will never change...] he thought.   
  
No more comments were done once the monster decided to take care of the five   
girls.   
The senshi immediately split up with the intention of attacking from several   
flanks at once.  
Sailor Mars was the first one.  
  
"FLAME SNIPER!"  
  
A bow and arrow formed by fire appeared by her hands. The senshi pulled the   
"cord" and launched the flaming missile with deadly accuracy and getting a   
bull's eye.  
  
The monster blew up like an egg put inside a microwave.   
Only scattered body parts were left of it.  
  
"That was it?" Jupiter asked surprised, and maybe a little disappointed as   
well.  
  
The senshi began to gather around what was left of the monster. Yep... that   
was pretty much it. Unless the thing had the ability of reconstructing   
itself from scraps, the senshi would have to get used to the idea that the   
fight was over.  
  
"My speech lasted longer than this thing." Moon commented.  
  
On top of a roof:  
  
"You're kidding, right?" Trunks asked Pluto, "*That* was the big threat you   
told me about?"  
  
"No, that was merely the beginning." she answered.  
  
**********  
  
It was late afternoon and Rei Hino was going through with her daily   
priesthood duties. Put in more casual words, she was sweeping the entrance   
of Hikawa Shrine.   
Her grandfather and Yuuichiru had gone out minutes ago to attend some other   
businesses.   
  
Something disturbed her.   
  
It had nothing to do with the fact of bening alone at home, since she   
actually enjoyed a little solitude once in a while.   
Since she recently fought a monster, the first one in a year, she had a   
reason to be disturbed.   
But that wasn't it either.  
That creature had been a major pushover to cause her any concern.   
  
Something else.  
  
For a couple of minutes now, she had this feeling. This hunch that something   
was about to happen. This feeling was stalking her.  
  
Something... someone was near.  
  
The young priestess stopped sweeping and began to scour the place with her   
eyes, frantically searching for something. She wasn't sure what it was, but   
she had learn over the years not to take her hunches lightly.  
  
"Impressive." said a voice from above, "Even though I'm hiding my presence   
you can still sense me."  
  
Rei immediately took her sight towards the voice's origin. It came from one   
of the branches of a nearby oak tree. Someone was standing there, slightly   
hidden by the foliage.  
How did that person got up there without her noticing or even hearing him?  
  
"Who's there?" she asked threateningly, while taking a firm grasp at her   
broom in case she'd have to use it to defend herself.  
  
"I'm sorry if I startled you, Rei," the voice went on, "But I had to make   
sure there was no one here besides you."  
  
"Come out from there and show yourself!"   
  
The figure jumped out of his hiding place and landed about ten feet from   
where the Shinto priestess stood.  
  
Rei's eyes had gone from narrow to wide once she saw who her stalker was.   
She completely lost grip of her broom which fell to the ground.  
Surely it had been a while since she last saw him, but you simply couldn't   
forget someone like him even after three years. Not because of how he looked,   
but mostly because who he was and what he had done.  
  
"T... Trunks-kun?"  
  
"Hi." this last one answered, a little nervous, "It's been a while."  
  
The girl began to walk towards the visitor slowly. Almost doubtingly, not   
sure if what she saw was a trick her mind was pulling on her.  
Half way towards him, she changed her pace and quickly grasped him, fearing   
he might be an illusion which might disappear at any moment.  
She couldn't help herself in greeting Trunks with a big hug.  
  
Although taken a little by surprise at first by such warm welcome, Trunks   
didn't hesitate in returning the hug. After all, it had been a long time.  
  
"Oh my God!!" Rei stated, still amazed, "I can't believe it's really you!!"  
  
"It's nice to see you too, Rei." Trunks told her. "You look great."  
  
"*Me* look great?!? I mean look at you!" she responded, as she examined him   
from head to toe. "You're huge! And... long hair... I mean... wow!"  
  
"Thanks for the compliment."  
  
Rei took a few steps back and joined her hands in front of her mouth. This   
was just too unreal.  
Trunks... here. Back once again.  
  
"Oh my God, I completely forgot." she declared, "How was your trip back to   
your world? Did everything turned out okay? Did you cured your friend?"  
  
"Everything went fine, I..."  
  
"Wait! Don't tell me yet!" she interrupted, as she took out her wristwatch.   
"I'll tell the others to meet us here so you won't have to repeat the story   
over and over again."  
  
"No, wait!" Trunks told her, as he reached for her wristwatch. "Please don't."  
  
"Why?" Rei asked confused, "The others will be thrilled when they find out   
you're back."  
  
The young priestess noticed how serious was her visitor's expression was.   
  
"Trunks-kun... " she began, "You being here, is a good thing... right?"  
  
The Saiyajin hybrid just let out a little sigh. He then gestured her a 'no'   
with his head.  
  
"There's trouble."  
  
"Is it another dimension hole?"  
  
"No." Trunks answered. "I'm afraid it's something far more serious, but I   
have to talk to you first... alone."  
  
**********  
  
[Excellent! Simply marvelous!]  
  
The streets of Tokyo were safe once again. The few spectators that witnessed   
the encounter between the Sailor Senshi and that hideous monster had already   
left for home.   
All but one old man.  
  
[This is exactly what I was hoping for!]  
  
The venerable elder in question had stayed there for quite some time now, in   
spite of the battle being over. Not even the remains of the monster were   
left. The G-89 formula had already taken effect, completely dissolving whichever   
proof of the Raider's existence.   
  
The old man looked amused.  
Most passers thought he was just going senile.  
If only they knew.  
  
Ignoring the looks from people nearby, the strange figure left for an alley.   
Once he made sure no one saw him, he spoke.  
  
"Victory to our cause."  
  
With those words pronounced, a strange pin he was wearing on his shirt began   
to glow. The next second, he vanished into thin air.  
Inside a building on the other side of the city, he reappeared.  
  
Being the disguise now unnecessary, Eron decided to switch back to his   
original form.   
The old man's body began to grow, his wrinkled face began to rejuvenate and   
his hair took a darker color.  
Where an eighty year old man with gray hair stood moments ago, was now a man   
around thirty with short brown hair and a muscular frame.  
  
The scientist put on his doctor's robe which was hanging nearby. After   
adjusting his collar, he took a look at himself in a mirror placed next to   
him. He smiled.  
  
"You handsome devil you." he said to his reflection.  
  
"Master Eron," a voiced peered from behind. "You're back early."  
  
"Yes, Arna, I am." Eron responded, while combing his hair, "And boy, do I   
have good news."  
  
**********  
  
Rei listened closely to everything Trunks told her. This one had shared all   
the information Sailor Pluto had given him so far. Needless to say Rei was   
showing some concern about Setsuna's vision of the future.  
  
"And here I was starting to get use to peace and quiet again." she sighed.  
  
"I also had the opportunity to see you fight earlier." Trunks continued.   
"Even though that monster was nothing serious, things might get worse in the   
future. This might be just a start."  
  
"Pluto's vision sounded quite serious." the priestess declared.  
  
"Yes." her companion added, "And she doesn't strike me as the kind of person   
who takes decisions without thinking. If she asked me to come here, it's   
probable that you will need my help."  
  
Rei let out a huge sigh.   
Things just got complicated once again. Looks like there wasn't going to be   
a moment of relaxation during this summer.  
But that put aside, she still didn't knew why Trunks wanted her to keep this   
a secret from the other Senshi.  
  
"Okay. That's clear now," she began, "but what I don't get is why you didn't   
want me to tell the others you're here."  
  
Trunks took a deep breath. This was the hard part.  
  
"Rei... I only want you and Setsuna to know I'm here." he explained, "The   
less people know, the better."  
  
"What?" she asked, now completely confused. "You're joking, right? I mean,   
you already told me there's no unbalancement this time, so what seems to be   
the problem?"  
  
"Maybe I can't cause any damage to your dimension, but I can cause damage to   
someone. Mainly, Makoto Kino."  
  
"Could you please be more specific."  
  
"Rei, you were there when I left this dimension. You saw how hard it was to   
leave and more so, by leaving Makoto hurt in such a terrible way." Trunks   
told her. "I don't want to hurt her ever again."  
  
"Listen, if all this is just about fearing being rejected, don't worry." the   
priestess said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. "Mako-chan is a   
very strong girl and always recuperates after a loss. I'm sure she won't   
resent you being here."  
  
"This isn't about feeling rejected." he made clear. "Like you said, Makoto   
probably got over me a while back and is probably living a happy life now.   
I ask you this: What right do I have to walk back into her life three years   
later and make her remember the pain I caused her?"  
  
Rei actually began to think about this.  
He had a point.  
  
"Think about it for a minute. I'm not even supposed to be here." the Saiyajin   
warrior added. "To be completely honest with you, I never though it was   
going to be possible for me to ever come back here again. Now tell me, were   
you expecting me to return?"  
  
"Well... no. Not really." Rei confessed. "Your farewell seemed pretty   
definitive three years ago."  
  
"And Makoto is now living pleasantly again, am I right?"  
  
Rei nodded.  
  
Yes... she had been doing okay in spite of having her heart broken for a   
second time, but even if that was three years ago, her heart had not healed   
without leaving a scar. Rei, as one of her close friends, knew that quite   
well. Even if Mako-chan was back on her feet, some changes on her persona   
had been noticeable ever since Trunks left. Mostly the fact that she wasn't   
so forward with guys anymore. Probably afraid of rejection.  
  
"Can you imagine the damage I could cause her by showing up and forcing her   
to remember the pain she already managed to forget?" he went on.   
  
"Okay, you *do* have a point there." Rei pointed out. "But still, don't you   
think you're overreacting?"  
  
So far, Trunks had only talked about the consequences on Makoto, but the   
young priestess would like to know exactly what were the Sayajin's feeling   
in all of this.   
  
"As much as I would like that to be the case, I'm afraid not." Trunks   
declared. "Besides, I won't be staying here forever. As soon as the problem   
is fixed, I have to return back to my world. So you see... I can't even   
afford to get involved with Makoto, since it would mean committing the same   
errors I did eight years ago."  
  
"Wait, holditholditholdit." she interrupted suddenly, as she heard the word   
'eight'. "Eight years?? It's been eight *years* for you??? Eight, as in two   
times four??"  
  
"In my dimension, time passed twice as fast compared to this one." he   
explained. "It's been six years there, but I stayed in the past for two   
years while training to get stronger so I could defeat the Jinzouningen."  
  
"Then... then... then that means you... you're..."  
  
"Twenty-five years old."   
  
Rei's jaw had hit the floor.  
Twenty-five...   
Twenty-five years old.  
T*W*E*N*T*Y*-*F*I*V*E*  
A quarter of a century. Two decades and a half.  
Old enough to vote. Old enough to enter a bar.  
It suddenly struck her... Old enough to be married.  
If it's been eight years since Trunks was last seen here, then it was God   
damn probable that he had a life with someone else back in his dimension.  
Rei's mind filled with preoccupation once she realized what kind of effect   
this revelation would cause on Mako-chan.   
Imagine learning that the man you loved, the first *true* love you've   
experienced, was now twenty-five *and* married. That would be devastating   
for her. Even though she could still hold on to the memories of her past   
love, knowing that Trunks was now married with someone that *wasn't* her   
would be just to much to bare.  
Mako-chan definitively didn't deserve that. She had suffered enough already.  
  
"Well... How old *do* I look?" Trunks asked curious.  
  
"Twenty. Twenty-two tops." the priestess responded, still not able to   
believe it.  
  
"I guess looking young runs in the family."  
  
Rei took that moment to sit down. It had been one shock after another, so   
sitting down seemed like the right thing to do just about now.  
Trunks, on the other hand, wasn't really sure how could his age have such an   
impact on her. He decided to change the subject, but Rei beat him to it.  
  
"You came to me because I'm able to sense your ki, am I right?" she asked,   
although it sounded more like a statement.   
  
"That's right," he confirmed, "even if I don't show my face, you'll be able   
to sense my presence, just like you did moments ago. That's why I specially   
came to you. Listen... I know that I'm asking you a lot by keeping this a   
secret from your friends, but..."  
  
"Don't worry, I understand your position." she interrupted. "You can count   
on me."  
  
Those words took a burden off Trunks' shoulders. To be frank, he really   
didn't knew what other way around the problem he could take if Rei refused   
to help him. Although he was also a bit intrigued in learning what made the   
young priestess so suddenly willing to keep the secret. Especially since she   
seamed so determined in proving how wrong his method seemed earlier. But for   
now, the important thing was that she accepted to cooperate.  
  
"I'm not saying I'll like it," Rei went on, "but I guess you're right. This   
will keep Mako-chan from getting hurt again."  
  
"Thank you very much, Rei," Trunks said relieved, "this will make things a   
lot easier."  
  
"There's just something I'd like to ask." she pointed out.  
  
"Someone's coming." the Saiyajin hybrid spoke, not paying attention to what Rei   
just said. "I must go now."  
  
With those words said, Trunks suddenly disappeared. Even though she couldn't   
see him with her eyes, Rei sensed how the Saiyajin's ki had grown in order to   
move faster than the eye can see.  
She didn't get a chance to make any further observations as she saw   
Yuuichiru approaching from the stairs ahead, just like Trunks perceived   
earlier.  
  
Yuuichiru never showed any sort of ki manifestations even though he received   
training as a Shinto priest. How could have Trunks sensed his presence?   
Rei knew that Trunks was extremely powerful. It was quite obvious since the   
last time was here three... eight years ago. But even then, such power   
couldn't be so easily detected unless he intentionally showed it. Could it   
be that Trunks had so much power now that it was impossible for him to   
conceal himself? Or was it her, who simply developed her ability to sense ki?  
  
Whether which one of the two it was, Rei saw clearly now why had the Saiyajin   
hybrid come to her first.   
However, Trunks power was what concerned her the least at the moment.   
The big question was how was she going to handle so much right now.   
Especially in terms of how would this affect Mako-chan if she ever found out   
about Trunks' return.   
She hadn't thought about it much at first, but Trunks was right, even though   
what he said sounded terribly wrong.   
  
How could things be the same now compared to three years ago?   
Eight years, if you saw it from Trunks' point of view.  
  
  
  
End of chapter 3.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
See you in chapter 4...  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Chapter 4

Dragon Ball Z/ Sailor Moon/ Ranma ½ fanfic.  
  
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."  
  
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)  
  
  
Warning: All characters from this fanfic are copyright from Akira   
Toriyama (Dragon Ball Z), Naoko Takeuchi (Sailor Moon) and Rumiko Takahashi   
(Ranma ½) so don't sue me. By the way, also worth mentioning, this story is   
a sequel to my other fanfic "Boy meets girls". In other words, there will be   
a lot of things you won't understand in this story if you haven't read "Boy   
meets girls" (and its side stories) first. If that's the case... then what   
the Hell are you doing here still reading this? Go to   
http://lavender.fortunecity.com/flamingos/122 instead, and start at the real   
beginning of the story like you're suppose to!  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AND NOW ON WITH....  
  
  
Chapter 4: Purple into black, and red on top to give it flavor.  
  
  
Patience was definitively not one of Ranma's merits. Even if he had   
nothing better to do all day, standing stupidly while waiting for Akane was   
not the best way to kill time.   
  
Once again, Mr. Tendou and his dad had somehow managed in sending   
the two would-be couple out for shopping. It was rather common now, as well   
as quite exasperating for Akane and Ranma, to have their fathers pressuring   
them in going out together more often. Even if it was just to buy clothes.  
  
Then again, Ranma had already planed to go buy himself a new pair of   
trousers. So he didn't offer much resistance in accompanying Akane in the   
end. After all, this mall wasn't in Nerima; which reduced the possibilities   
of being ambushed by one or several of his rivals and/or suitors. That was   
a big plus.  
  
The fact that he had to tag along with Akane though, did put kind of   
a damper in all that. Not because of the company the girl represented, since   
he had grown used to her in a way and she in return didn't hit him as often   
as before. The problem was the waiting thing. Unlike guys, girls took too   
long when shopping.  
  
To Ranma's brain it was quite simple:  
When a guy wants to buy a pair of trousers: he goes to the mall and   
thinks [Trousers, trousers, trousers, trousers, trousers...] all the time.   
When he finds what he's looking for, he checks the color, he checks the size   
and then he checks the price (things which take up to 5 minutes to do and   
not more). If it's what he's looking for, he buys them and then leaves for   
home. If not, he goes on with his journey and repeats the three steps over   
and over until he finds 'the' trousers. Then he leaves for home. Simple as   
that.  
  
Girls are different:  
When a girl goes to buy something, she has a vague idea of what she   
wants. Therefore she gets distracted easily. Maybe she's after shoes, but it   
only take a simple dress in a showcase to mislead her from her true purpose.   
Then comes the 'trying it out' part. Unlike guys, girls take up to   
an hour in putting on the damn thing. Add all this to the decision making   
process on whether to buy the dress or not which takes twice as long.   
Bottom line: girls take at least twice the time in buying the same   
amount of clothes guys do.   
  
At least, that's how Ranma saw it.  
  
"Okay, Ranma, I'm done." said a voice behind a fitting room.  
  
Oh, yeah... let's not forget the 'asking-the-guy-you-came-along-with  
-for-his-opinion' part. Another part of the ritual which only delays even   
more the shopping. Ranma made a note to be as brief as possible in order to   
leave soon.  
  
Out from the dressing room came Akane wearing a yellow summer dress.   
The outfit was simple yet very well designed in boosting up a woman's   
femininity. Akane was not an exception.   
The cleavage was just about right and the two stings which held the   
dress up from the girls shoulder gave it a delicate appearance, something   
Ranma didn't get the chance to see often in his fiancée, but no less   
enjoyable to notice.  
  
"Nice." he said with wide eyes.   
  
Akane just smiled and took a look at herself in a nearby mirror.   
After turning around several times and analyzing her reflection, she decided   
to buy the dress.  
  
As his fiancée spun, Ranma began to think that waiting maybe wasn't   
so bad after all.   
  
"Well, that's that." the pigtailed boy brought out as the two of   
them left the store. "I guess we should head for home now."  
  
"Ranma? Akane?" said a voice to their left.  
  
The couple turned towards the voice's origin. Heading towards them   
were Makoto Kino and Minako Aino. This last one being the one who called   
their names.  
  
"Hi, girls!" Akane beamed.   
  
"What a coincidence of finding you here." Makoto began, "What brings   
you two to Juuban?"  
  
"Just shopping for clothes." Ranma answered casually.  
  
"Look what I bought." Akane told them as she pulled her new dress   
out of her bag.  
  
"Hey, it's really nice." Minako stated, as she took a close look.   
"Do you have the right shoes for it?"  
  
"Well... now that you're telling me, I don't think so." the youngest   
Tendou sister pointed out.  
  
[Uh oh.] thought Ranma. Somehow, he could already tell what was   
going to happen next.  
  
"Well, why don't the two of you come with us?" the blond suggested.   
"Mako-chan and I are doing some shopping ourselves. I'm sure we'll be able   
to find you something."  
  
Yep... looks like this wasn't over yet.   
Akane, not surprisingly, accepted the offer. Ergo, Ranma had to go   
with her. If he even dared to go back to the Tendou household without his   
fiancée, he'd never stop hearing the end of it from his old man.  
  
"Besides," Minako added jokingly, "You wouldn't dare to abandon   
three lovely girls inside a dangerous mall, now would you, Ranma?"  
  
"Oh, yeah." the pigtailed boy responded sarcastically as he rolled   
his eyes, "Gotta keep my eyes open in case one of those vicious perfume   
salesmen tries to spray your arms with free samples."  
  
**********   
  
[Ryuji Yamasaki...] he thought. [Naaaaaa.]  
  
Trunks rested his back against the chair and moved his eyes off the   
computer screen and up into the ceiling.   
This was his second day in this world and he decided that getting a   
new ID should be one of his top priorities. This had turned to be easier   
than most people though, since Bulma was smart enough to give him a complete   
forgery equipment for his trip.   
There was one little problem though. Trunks just couldn't decide on   
a new name.  
  
[Ralf Jones... Nope.]  
  
Setsuna had been quite persistent on the subject as well. If Trunks   
was going to walk around Tokyo, he needed a new name. It was just a   
precaution, but it was essential.  
  
[Robert Garcia... No, I don't even look like a Latin-American.]  
  
A sudden ring interrupted Trunks thoughts. In a single motion, he   
reached for a communicator nearby and turned it on with the flip of a switch.   
Bulma's face appeared on the screen.  
  
//Hi, sweety, how are you doing?//  
  
"Hi, mom," the Saiyajin hybrid responded, "okay, I guess."  
  
//Has the enemy showed up?//  
  
"Well... sort of." Trunks began, "Yesterday there was some sort of   
monster on the rampage, but it was really nothing serious. Can't get too   
confident though."  
  
//What are you doing right now?//  
  
"Braking my skull as I try to find a name to use in this world."  
  
//Hmm... how about Jockstraps Briefs?// her mother suggested.  
  
"Er... I don't think that'll do, mom."  
  
//Really? Sounds like a good name to me.//  
  
[I'll bet...] he thought. "People in this world use different names.   
I was thinking more in the lines of Hiroshi or Seishirou."  
  
//You're too goo looking to be named like that.// his mother pointed   
out. //Anyway, I'm on my way to a business meeting, I just wanted to check   
on you. Take care.//  
  
"'Kay, mom. Bye."  
  
The screen went black again and Trunks returned to his name   
searching problem.  
  
[Chang Koehan...] he went on, [Doesn't sound right either.]  
  
The dimension traveler got up from his seat and began to walk around   
the room. After several minutes of frustration and brain drilling, he   
finally made up his mind. However, he was interrupted a second time. This   
time it was the phone.  
  
Trunks couldn't help in finding this rather unusual. After all, he'd   
been here for only two days and hadn't told anyone his phone number. Mainly   
because he didn't knew the number himself.   
The only person he could think would call him would be Setsuna,   
since she was the one who got him the apartment and probably the only one   
who knew it's phone number as well.   
  
The Saiyajin hybrid was surprised yet a second time when he picked   
up the receiver and found out that Rei Hino was at the other side of the line.  
  
"Rei?" he asked just to make sure.  
  
//Yes, it's me.//  
  
"How did you find my phone number?" he asked, "I don't recall being   
in the phonebook. I don't even have a name yet."  
  
//Setsuna gave it to me.//  
  
[Figures.] he realized. "So, what can I do for you?"  
  
//Do you think you can come to Hikawa Temple now?//  
  
"Now?"  
  
//Don't worry, there's no one here but me. It's very important.//  
  
"Okay, I'll be there in a sec."  
  
//Okay, I'll be waiting for you.//  
  
**********   
  
"So, your Raider was defeated." the Lord pointed out.  
  
"Yes, my Lord," Eron confirmed, "just as expected, a group of   
defenders showed up to protect the Juuban citizens."  
  
"humph! How typical." Arlakk declared. "I'll never understand how   
can some people be stupid enough to throw away their lives for such a   
meaningless purpose."   
  
"Be that as it may," the Lord cut in, "Those individuals have always   
proven to be excellent pickings. Eron, how long will it take you to   
determine the extent of these defenders' powers?"  
  
"My most optimistic guess would be in a couple of Earthling weeks.   
Maybe even more than a month." The scientist reported.  
  
"Take all the time you need, but remember to be cautious. Do *not*   
make any foolish decisions before learning everything that is needed."  
  
"There is no need to worry, My Lord," Eron replied confidently, "I'm   
convinced that you'll be more than satisfied with the end results."  
  
"You wish..." mumbled Arlakk.  
  
"Now, passing to other matters," The Lord began, "Sorine, has there   
been any advances on your project?"  
  
The woman, who had remained silent so far, stood up to give her   
report. Her eyes, lacking any sort of expression moved towards a strange   
device she held on one hand.   
The object itself resembled a calculator and a gun at the same time.   
As she entered a code, a three dimensional holographic image appeared at the   
center of the room.   
  
"Project 'Dark Snowfall' is 78% complete." she said, with a voice   
that matched her look perfectly. "There were some serious damages on the   
units since our last mission, but my staff is taking care of the problem.   
The report goes as follows..."  
  
Eron took that moment to doze off. Sorine's reports were just too   
boring. The scientist saw from the corner of his eye that Arlakk wasn't   
paying much attention either. Not surprisingly though, since the sorcerer   
was well known for his anti-technology bias.   
Never the less, ignoring Sorine's techno-babble wasn't really a dumb   
thing to do, since the Lord was certainly the only one who understood what   
it all meant.  
  
At least, Sorine's technological intervention had proven extremely   
useful in previous missions and Eron had to give her credit for that.   
However, even though he was quite knowledgeable in computers and advanced   
hi-tech calculus, the scientist was nowhere near Sorine's level, which made   
it almost impossible for him to understand what the woman was talking about.  
  
"We also seem to be short on prime materials, My Lord." she concluded.  
  
"Then let's make the best of things and take whatever you need from   
the world we're about to conquer." The Lord stated. "Eron, make your Raiders   
fetch everything Sorine's needs. Like that we'll kill two birds with one   
stone."  
  
"Yes, Lord." Eron acknowledged. "This will also help in diverting   
the defenders' attention. If they believe that the Raiders' mission is other   
than testing *them*, it will make my research more efficient."  
  
"You're relying too much on the subjects' naiveté." Arlakk cut in.   
"The defenders are bound to find out, sooner or later, that you're observing   
them."  
  
"And what if they do?" Eron countered. "They don't know anything   
about us, so there's no real threat."  
  
**********   
  
"Come on in." Rei told her guest as she made her way inside her house.  
  
Trunks took off his boots and followed his host. He took his sight   
around the place, a little unsure if he should go in or not.  
  
"Don't worry." Rei told him. "Grandpa and Yuuichiru will be out for   
a couple of hours. As far as I know, Usagi and Mamoru are out on a date,   
Minako and Mako-chan are at the mall and Ami is in one of her special classes."  
  
"Yeah, sorry. I guess I'm a little paranoid." Trunks said. "So, what   
do you want to talk to me about?"  
  
"This." she answered, as she passed him a small box.  
  
Trunks raised an eyebrow as he read the box's inscription.  
  
"You want to dye you hair black?" he asked dubiously. "Isn't it   
already black?"  
  
"It's not for me, silly. It's for you." the Shinto priestess made clear.  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Let's be realistic, Trunks. A long purple haired guy calls too much   
attention. Since you're here 'incognito', you need a disguise so no one will   
recognize you. Black hair definitively isn't as obvious as purple hair.   
Besides, imagine you're walking by the street, minding your own business,   
and suddenly you stumble upon one of the girls. They'd recognize you in a   
matter of seconds, unless you had some sort of disguise."  
  
"I hadn't thought about that." Trunks realized. "Guess you're right.   
So, what do I have to do?"  
  
"Leave everything to me." Rei told him, confidently. "Now, take off   
your jacket and wait for me inside the bathroom. I'll bring everything we   
need to turn you into a whole new person."  
  
Trunks did as he was told and laid his jacket on top of a nearby chair.   
After that, he went into the bathroom. Rei didn't took too long to join him   
while carrying some hot water, brushes, towels and other hairdressing   
instruments he wasn't familiar with.  
The girl couldn't help but stare as Trunks' naked arms were exposed.   
He certainly looked even stronger than before. Not to mention that his loose   
black undershirt also allowed her a glimpse at his solid chest.  
  
"So, what now?" Trunks asked her, snapping her out of her reverie.  
  
"Wh? Oh, yeah! Sit down and put this towel on your shoulders." she   
gestured her as she approached a stool. "I'll take care of the rest."  
  
The Saiyajin warrior obeyed and sat in front of the bathroom mirror   
while Rei took care of his hair.  
  
"Since this will take some time, how about telling me what you've   
been up to these last years?" Rei began, trying to open up a conversation.  
  
"Where would you want me to start?"  
  
"How about the moment you left this world."  
  
"Okay... After I took off, I actually made it to the past like I was   
supposed to." Trunks started. "When I arrived though, there wasn't a second   
to waist as I sensed an enormous ki approaching. It appeared that Frezza, an   
old enemy, was about to come to Earth with the intention to kill everyone.   
At that time, only Goku-san was strong enough to defeat him. Unfortunately,   
he wasn't there at the moment. So I had to take care of Frezza myself."  
  
"Was it a tough fight?"   
  
"Not really." he responded. "Frezza was strong, but his power was   
below a Super Saiyajin's. I took care of him quickly before the Earth   
suffered any sort of damage. As soon as that was over, the Z-senshi showed   
up, except for Goku-san who was still in outer space."  
  
"It must have been quite an impression for you to see them when they   
were still alive."   
  
"No kidding. My father was with them at the time. You can imagine   
the look on my face."  
  
Trunks went on narrating the events of his life: how he met the   
Z-senshi, the time he was with them when the Jinzouningen appeared, as well   
as the confrontation with Cell. Rei was somewhat startled when he told her   
about his death and resurrection during and after the Cell games.  
  
In return, the young Shinto priestess put him up to date with   
everything that had happened with the Sailor Senshi for the past three years.   
Since Setsuna and her were probably the only senshi Trunks would see from   
now on, Rei felt a certain obligation in becoming a good friend to the   
Saiyajin hybrid. Probably she was feeling sorry for her guest since he had   
to hide himself from the rest of his friends.   
  
Many persons criticized Rei for being a grouch, unfriendly and   
probably cold with other persons. Most of it wasn't true. Although she was   
aware that she could be rude towards other people, this didn't mean she was   
whiling to ignore a friend when he needed her help.   
Being away from home, alone in a completely alien world was   
certainly very rough for anyone. However, in spite of that, Trunks came here   
by his own free will in order to confront the upcoming threat. Rei just   
couldn't force herself to ignore this act. If she was going to be his only   
friend, she vowed to herself to be a good one at it.  
  
"I can imagine the look on Usagi and Mamoru's faces when they found   
out that that little girl was their daughter from the future." Trunks   
chuckled. "Sounds like 'deja vu' to me."  
  
"You should've seen the look on all our faces." Rei added amused. "I   
bet it was priceless."  
  
"I still can't believe that Usagi and Mamoru are going to be future   
sovereigns of this world." he said.   
  
"You're telling me. I can't believe Usagi is actually going to get   
married *and* have a child." the Shinto priestess went on teasingly.   
  
"Well, at least she'll know how to name her." Trunks joked.  
  
"Personally, I can't picture myself as a mother yet." Rei began.   
"School and protecting the planet have been quite enough trouble as it is.   
If I added the thought of raising a child to all that, I'd be having a   
nervous breakdown."   
  
Her guest just chuckled to that comment. Little did he know that Rei   
was actually manipulating the conversation in order to learn more about a   
certain aspect of Trunks life.  
  
"How about you?" she asked, "Have you ever thought about raising kids?"  
  
There was the question. And a great opening as well. Whichever   
answer Trunks gave her, would be enough to know if he was married or single.  
  
"Well... no."   
  
"..."  
  
Okay... maybe not *all* answers were helpful to determine Trunks'   
civil status.   
Rei decided to push a little harder on the questions. It would be bolder and   
she would be exposing herself, but she simply had to know.   
She hadn't seen any wedding ring on his guest's fingers, but that   
didn't mean anything. Maybe people didn't use that in his world. Not to   
mention that not being married didn't mean you weren't involved with someone   
in particular.  
  
"So... you haven't found the right girl yet?" she asked again.  
  
Trunks couldn't help to turn his head around to see the girl while   
giving her a dubious look. Rei looked as if she just said something really   
stupid.  
  
"I'm single." he said simply.  
  
The Shinto priestess didn't knew how to interpret that answer.   
  
"I'm sorry... I asked too much." she apologized.  
  
"There's nothing to feel sorry about." he told her. "After all, it's   
been technically eight years since you last saw me. A lot of things can   
happen during that time. So don't feel worried if you want to ask me   
something."  
  
"Okay." she acknowledged, but decided to stop asking questions and   
pressing her luck.  
  
"Rei!!" shouted a voice from outside.  
  
The couple tensed as both recognized who the voice belonged to. What   
the heck was Usagi doing here? She was suppose to be on a date!  
Trunks jolted up from his seat, preoccupation obvious throughout all   
his face.  
  
"Hey, Rei!" said another voice, "Are you here?"  
  
Makoto... Oh no. This wasn't looking good.   
  
Without wasting a second, Rei rushed out of the bathroom. Not only   
did she saw Usagi and Mako-chan, but Minako, Mamoru and even Ranma and Akane   
were accompanying them as well. Worst of all, they had already made their   
way inside her house.  
  
She had to do something and she had to do it fast. Quickly, she   
closed the bathroom's door in an attempt to hide her dimension traveling   
guest from her friends. The door hadn't even slammed shut when she noticed a   
certain blue jacket, with the Capsule Corp. logo on the side, hanging on a   
chair.   
In less than a second, she grabbed it and threw the 'possible   
incriminating object' inside her bedroom, which door was luckily open at the   
time.  
  
"I'm here!" she told her friends, who entered the room she was in   
once she finished her phrase.   
  
"Gee, don't mind in barging in!" she added in an upset tone.   
"Haven't you hear of something called manners, Usagi?"  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" said the odango girl as she seemed somewhat   
restless. "But I have to use your bathroom."  
  
"My... my bathroom?" Rei asked nervously. "Wh... Why? Why do you   
wanna go into my bathroom?"  
  
"Why do you think???" her friend answered impatiently as she clenched   
here teeth. "Do you want me to get graphical?? Com'on, Rei! I *really* have   
to go!"  
  
"But... er.. you see..."  
  
"Is there someone in?" Usagi interrupted, obviously in a hurry.  
  
"No! Not at all!" the priestess responded.   
  
"Then *I'm* going in."  
  
Unable to stop her friend, Rei could only hope that Trunks had found   
a way to hide.   
Usagi quickly turned the knob and opened the door, just to stop   
abruptly the moment she saw what was inside the bathroom.  
  
"What the..." she began.  
  
[Damn it!] the fire senshi thought, [The show's over.]  
  
"Hair dye?" Usagi asked dubiously. "And black? Rei, why would   
you... unless..."  
  
Although concerned about Usagi's observations, Rei could at least   
pull a short sigh of relief as she realized that Trunks wasn't in the   
bathroom anymore. He could've taken the dye with him though. Now it was   
going to be one heck of a task explaining why the product was there in the   
first place.  
  
"So *that's* why you didn't want me to come in."   
  
Rei's heart began to race again. Usagi was showing an unusual   
deductive ability right now. This worried her even more when she realized   
that Trunks' boots had been left at the entrance. If Usagi had seen those,   
it was quite probable that she could determine what was going on here. Not   
to mention that Rei wasn't 100% sure that her friend hadn't seen her getting   
rid of Trunks' jacket.  
  
"There's only one logical explanation for this." Usagi stated as she   
began to grin.  
  
Rei gulped.  
  
"You're starting to have gray hair!" she said triumphant.  
  
...  
......  
Relief? No, that wasn't what Rei felt right now, although probably   
later. Surprise? Yes, probably a little bit of that. Shock? Definitively.   
Confusion? You bet'cha.  
  
"Excuuuuse me??" the young priestess asked, still not able to   
assimilate Usagi's deduction.  
  
"Why else would you be dying your hair black when it already *is*   
black?" the blond remarked wickedly.  
  
Oooohhh, the urge she felt at the moment to prove her wrong.   
Unfortunately, she couldn't tell her the real reason why such   
product was there. Otherwise she'd be turning Trunks in.  
As much as Rei hated it, she had no other choice but to pretend that   
Usagi was right. Even if this meant that her friend would probably tease her   
endlessly about this so-called 'gray hair'.  
  
Usagi began to laugh as Rei's silent just proved that her   
observation was right. The Shinto priestess ignored this as she could still   
feel that Trunks was inside the bathroom. Not surprisingly though, since the   
window which lead outside was just too small for anyone to fit through it.   
But then... where was he?  
  
A small water drop which fell on top of Rei's head made her realize   
where her guest was hiding.  
  
[Please don't look up! Please don't look up! Please don't look up!]   
Trunks repeated in his mind as he levitated horizontally with his back   
pressed against the ceiling.  
  
It would've seemed that his host had somehow guessed what he was   
thinking and restrained herself from looking up.  
He had to get out of here before things got even more complicated.   
Unfortunately, even though he could move faster that the eye could see, the   
only way out was through the door... which was being blocked by the two   
girls.  
Fortunately, Rei came to the rescue once again.  
  
"Okay, Usagi," she told her friend, "now you know my darkest deepest   
secret. Now that that's out in the open, how about going to the toilet like   
you were supposed to?"  
  
Rei began to push her friend away from the door while this last one   
began to tease her about getting old so soon. At least Usagi was too   
entertained with the priestess to realize that there was someone else in the   
bathroom.  
  
This was his cue. Time to get out of here.  
  
"What was that??" Ranma asked as he looked at the bathroom door.  
  
"What was what?" Mamoru asked, not understanding what the martial   
artist was referring to.  
  
"Something came out of the bathroom." he explained.  
  
"I didn't see anything." Akane said. "Are you sure you're not   
imagining things?"  
  
Without answering, Ranma quickly ran out of the house and into the   
garden, where he last saw that blurry black form. He began to scan his   
surroundings, not with his eyes, but with his ki. He then took his sight   
towards the roof.  
  
"There you are!"  
  
After jumping on top of Rei's house, he clearly saw how the intruder   
he spotted earlier was already flying away. He couldn't tell who it was,   
especially since he/she was moving so fast that Ranma could barely locate   
him/her.  
  
"Come back here!" he shouted as he began to fly after him.  
  
Unfortunately, Ranma's efforts were in vain as the intruder   
immediately flew faster, losing his pursuer completely.   
As he could only see how his pray had easily eluded him, Ranma began   
to feel like a certain cartoon coyote who chased after a roadrunner.   
*That* was fast flying!   
  
Being left without a choice, he reluctantly went back to Hikawa   
Temple empty handed. The girls were already outside waiting for him, as well   
as an explication he guessed.  
  
"Ranma, what was that all about?" his fiancée asked him.  
  
"Like I said, something came out of the bathroom." he told her as   
his feet reached the ground. "It was moving very fast. I tried to catch it   
but I lost it."  
  
"Are you sure you weren't mistaking?" Minako asked dubiously.  
  
"Maybe it was master Happosai who followed us." Akane suggested,   
which only managed to get the senshi shivering at the thought of him.  
  
"That would explain why he moved so fast." Makoto analyzed. "Rei,   
didn't you sensed him?"   
  
"Well... er... no, not really. I was kinda distracted." the priestess   
answered.  
  
"How come?" Ranma asked surprised. "You're the one who always locates   
him before he gets a chance to do anything?"  
  
"Well... that doesn't really matter right now." she went on, "If he   
already left, then there's nothing to worry about."  
  
"I guess you're right." Minako said.  
  
"Anyway, changing the subject," Rei began, "what brings all of you   
here?"  
  
"We all happened to be at the same mall at the same time." Makoto   
told her. "Since we turned out to be quite numerous, we though that maybe we   
should all get together and go see a movie or something."  
  
"We also had planned to catch Ami on her way out of her special   
class to see if she wants to come along." Usagi added, once she came out of   
the bathroom. "Feel like joining us, Rei?"  
  
"Sorry, but I still have a lot of chores to do." she answered. [Not   
to mention, a certain Saiyajin hybrid to find.]  
  
"Okay. If you're done early, meet us at the movie theater. I think   
the movie starts at five." Minako pointed out.  
  
"I don't think I'll make it." she said, "But I'll see you there if   
otherwise."  
  
The six visitors then took their leave. Once they all vanished from   
her sight, Rei let out one big and long sigh of relief.   
That was too close.  
From now on, all of her meetings with Trunks were going to be held   
at his place instead of here.   
  
She took a seat and began waiting for her guest to return. After all,   
she still had to complete his hair job. Not to mention that Trunks would   
probably want to get his boots and jacket back.  
  
She didn't had to wait long as Trunks' ki began to show minutes   
later. The Saiyajin hybrid landed next to her looking no less relieved that   
everything had turned out okay.  
  
"I think that in the future it will be safer if you come to my place   
instead of me coming here." he began.  
  
"That's exactly what I was thinking about a moment ago." she pointed   
out while getting up. "Com'on, let's get back inside and finish what we   
started before we get another surprise visit."  
  
"Agreed."   
  
"By the way, Trunks," she started, "how come you didn't sensed Usagi   
and the others when they arrived?"  
  
"Because they weren't showing any signs of ki." he explained   
matter-of-factly. "When you girls are in your senshi forms, it's easy to   
detect you with all that power swirling around you. But that's not the case   
when you're in normal civilian form."  
  
"But then, how come you felt Yuuichiru's presence yesterday?" she   
asked again. "I mean... he's as normal as they come."  
  
"Yuuichiru?... Ooooohhh, the guy from the stairway." Trunks realized.   
"No, I didn't feel his ki."  
  
"Then how did you know?"  
  
"Well, I just heard footsteeps approaching from the stairway, so I   
assumed someone was coming. It's not really hard to hear someone moving closer   
when you're in the yard, unlike your bathroom."  
  
Rei couldn't help to sweatdrop. Yes... that sounded kinda logical.  
  
"I wasn't expecting Ranma though." the Saiyajin added. "Looks like   
he learned how to fly already. He almost saw me."  
  
"Yeah, Ranma has been training a lot and has become stronger since   
the last time you were here. He learned a few tricks through these years.   
Flying was one of them." Rei pointed out. "I think he already learned how to   
sense other people's ki as well. But I'm not completely certain of that."  
  
"I'll have to talk to him too."  
  
"I don't think that'll be necessary." she told him. "Since he lives   
in Nerima, you won't get to see him around here much."  
  
"Still, last time I was here, he discovered my identity as Super   
Saiya-man." Trunks brought out. "Might as well clear things out with him in   
order to avoid further complications."  
  
"He knew you were Super Saiya-man???" Rei asked quite surprised.   
"Wow! He really kept the secret well. He never told us that, even after you   
left."  
  
"Does he know that you girls are..."  
  
Rei just shook her head in sign of no.  
  
"Well, you can worry about Ranma later." she stated as she opened   
the bathroom door. "Right now let's finish your hair. Oh, and by the way, I   
strongly suggest that you change your wardrobe as well. That blue jacket of   
yours almost gave you in if I hadn't hid it."  
  
"Don't worry, I'll take care of that."  
  
**********  
  
The girls began to discuss which film they should see. This became   
somewhat difficult since everyone had a particular taste. The boys, namely   
Ranma and Mamoru, limited themselves to hear the suggestions. At least   
Mamoru was paying attention, Ranma seemed to be lost in his own little world.  
  
"Huh?" asked Ranma, who finally realized Akane was talking to him.  
  
"I said: how about we see this new gai-jin movie?" she repeated.  
  
"The one with the guy and the famous movie star falling in love?" he   
asked, not really sharing the same movie taste his fiancée did.  
  
"Oh, I've been waiting a long time to see that one!" Usagi commented,   
anxiously grabbing her boyfriend by the arm. "Let's go see it! Pleeeeeaase!"  
  
"I wouldn't mind seeing it again." Makoto added. "It's a real cute   
story."  
  
"I'm really in the mood for a love story." Minako said.  
  
"So, do we agree then?"   
  
"Ranma?"  
  
"Huh? What?" this one answered.  
  
"Were you even listening?"   
  
"Er..."  
  
"The movie."   
  
"Oh, that." he said, "Actually, I wanted to ask you a favor, Akane."  
  
A favor? This wasn't usual in her fiancé. But then again, Ranma had   
been acting a little strange ever since the group left Hikawa Temple.  
  
"I just remembered I have to check something out." he explained. "I   
really have to split, but I'll be back for you once the movie's over."  
  
"Well gee, don't mind dumping me." Akane stated with sarcasm.  
  
"Really? Okay, thanks!" he said, not really analyzing the meaning of   
his fiancée's words.  
  
Without giving Akane a chance to protest, the pigtailed boy quickly   
gave her his bags and flew away in a blink of an eye. Akane, left without   
much of a choice, just growled as she saw Ranma disappearing in the blue sky.   
Ever since her fiancé learned that trick, he'd been even more elusive. If   
this would've happened a couple of years back, she could've at least chase   
after him and force him to come back. Thing which she couldn't do now since   
Ranma had gone airborn. There was one thing she could say though, and it   
would at least help her to dish out her frustration.  
  
"Ranma, you JERK!!!!" she yelled.   
  
**********  
  
"Voilá!" Rei stated as she took off the towel from Trunks head.   
  
The Saiyajin hybrid looked at himself in the mirror after he felt   
his hair loose.   
It was... different. That was for sure. Not necessarily 'bad   
looking', but different no less. Rei even took the trouble to dye his   
eyebrows as well. Not surprisingly though since leaving his eyebrows purple   
would make him look odd.   
  
"You could easily pass for my older brother now." the priestess   
added amused.  
  
Trunks just raised a now black eyebrow to that comment.  
  
"Well, I guess that's that." the Saiyajin hybrid declared, "I might   
as well go now before your grandfather or someone else shows up."  
  
"Okay, I'll go visit you at your place if we need to meet again.   
Like that we won't have to go through all the mess we did today." Rei added.  
  
"Yes, that would be for the best. We have to be on the look out too   
since we don't know when the enemy will strike."  
  
"That's right." she acknowledged, "I've been getting this strange   
feeling that another encounter is near. I'm almost certain that something is   
about to happen... soon."  
  
"Let's be careful then." he told her. "I'll keep an eye on you girls   
during the battle. You won't see me, but I'll be near."  
  
"By the way, Trunks," Rei brought out, "This just hit me, but what   
are you going to do if you need to interfere? I mean... you're not going to   
dress up as Super Saiya-man again, aren't you? That would be like telling   
the rest of the girls who you are."  
  
"Don't worry about that," he reassured her, "I already took the   
necessary precautions for that. Besides, I'll show up only if you have   
troubles. If you're able to handle the enemy, you won't be needing my help."  
  
"Let's hope that's the case." she confessed, "The easier the enemy   
is, the faster we'll get rid of him."  
  
"Yes, let's hope that's the case," Trunks affirmed while nodding,   
"Anyway, I have to leave now."  
  
"Okay, I'll see you soon, I guess."  
  
"Oh, and Rei..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Thanks for helping me out." he told her, "And I'm not saying that   
just for the hair."  
  
"Don't mention it." she said with a smile, "You came here to help us   
too, so it's the least I could do."  
  
With a last smile Trunks took the sky and went back to his new home.  
  
**********  
  
It was all too strange. What happened at Hikawa Temple that is.   
Ranma had been giving it some thought lately and had only reached new   
questions respecting the identity of the bathroom intruder.   
  
Akane said that Happosai was probably the one hiding. But Ranma   
doubted that. Even if the old lech had learned how to fly as well, he was   
quite sure he couldn't reach the speed he witnessed an hour ago. More   
importantly, if Happosai was the one behind all this, then why did he flee?   
Knowing the old master, he would've tried to glomp one (or several) of the   
girls even if this included a severe beating later. Escaping just wasn't   
logical for him.  
  
Then there was another thing. Why didn't Rei sensed the intruder's   
presence? The girl was not a martial artist, but Ranma had to recognize that   
she had a unique sense in detecting someone's aura. An ability which was,   
even if he hated to admit it, more refined than his.  
If he could've felt the presence without really focusing, the most   
logical thing would be for her to feel it as well.  
  
This was just too strange, and that's why he was heading towards   
Hikawa Temple now. He wasn't sure what good it would do, but maybe he could   
get some answers to his doubts.  
  
**********  
  
Trunks stopped in mid air as he felt another ki approaching. After   
carefully analyzing it, he guessed who was it's owner.  
  
[Ranma's heading towards Hikawa Temple.] he thought. [He seems to be   
alone too.]  
  
Without doubting too much, the Saiyajin hybrid turned back and went   
to meet the young martial artist. He wanted to talk to him anyway and since   
now he appeared to be by himself, so much the better.  
  
[Let's hope he's willing to cooperate too.]  
  
  
  
End of chapter 4.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Author notes:  
  
In case you didn't guess, the names Trunks came up with at the beginning of   
this chapter belong to several characters from the "King of Fighters" series.   
Just goes to show you how poor my imagination was at the moment ^^;;  
  
See you in chapter 5...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Chapter 5

Dragon Ball Z/ Sailor Moon/ Ranma ½ fanfic.  
  
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."  
  
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)  
  
  
Warning: All characters from this fanfic are copyright from Akira   
Toriyama (Dragon Ball Z), Naoko Takeuchi (Sailor Moon) and Rumiko Takahashi   
(Ranma ½) so don't sue me. By the way, also worth mentioning, this story is   
a sequel to my other fanfic "Boy meets girls". In other words, there will be   
a lot of things you won't understand in this story if you haven't read "Boy   
meets girls" (and its side stories) first. If that's the case... then what   
the Hell are you doing here still reading this?   
Go to http://lavender.fortunecity.com/flamingos/122 instead, and start at   
the real beginning of the story like you're suppose to!  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AND NOW ON WITH....  
  
  
Chapter 5: Find out.  
  
  
"Ranma, dinner is ready," Kasumi told the pigtailed martial artist.  
  
"Coming!" this one responded.  
  
With a great jump, he came down from the Tendo roof and made his way   
towards the dinning room. Everyone was already there, eating. Without saying   
anything, Ranma took his seat and started doing the same thing the others   
were.  
  
"Ranma coming late for dinner," Nabiki stated to no one in   
particular, "When will miracles stop? I'm surprised Kasumi actually had to   
go and get you."  
  
Ranma limited himself in eating his rice instead of paying attention   
to the young extortionist. From the back of his eye he could see that Akane,   
who was sitting next to him, was doing an excellent job in ignoring him as   
well. She was probably still upset after what happened yesterday. Actually,   
she hadn't spoken to him ever since.   
  
Okay, so maybe leaving her at the movies was not the nicest thing to   
do. But com'on! He said he was sorry. Okay, so maybe forgetting about her   
and coming to pick her up an hour late didn't help much either. But still,   
she didn't had to make such a big deal out of it! Not to mention that she   
didn't had to slap him on the face for it either. I mean, how was he suppose   
to know that his chat with Trunks was going to take so long? People get   
distracted once in a while and forget stuff. It can happen to anyone, right?  
  
Apparently, Akane didn't think that way. She got even more upset (if   
that's possible) when he refused to tell her why he left in the first place   
as well as what took him so long to come back. What was he suppose to say?   
Trunks had made him promise to keep his presence a secret from everyone else.   
If there was something that Ranma had learned over the years was that the   
least he spoke, the less chances this brought of getting himself into   
trouble. This time however, it backfired.   
Akane was probably thinking the worst things about what he could've   
done during his 'not-so-brief' absence. Most of those things probably   
involved some of his other fiancées as well.   
  
Deciding that staying near Akane and her rotten mood for a extended   
period of time would only get him clobbered, Ranma quickly finished his meal   
and left towards the dojo to do some katas. That always helped him to relax.   
  
After several minutes of working out, Ranma went to take a warm bath.   
While the hot water did wonders for his sore muscles, the martial   
artist gently sent his head back and pressed it against the wall, eyes   
looking at the ceiling.  
  
[If Trunks is back in Juuban,] he thought, [then something big is   
about to happen.]  
  
  
Flashback  
  
When he went looking for answers, he really didn't expect to see the   
answer itself to come and greet him.   
In front of him, about a yard away, the figure he spotted earlier at   
Hikawa Temple was hovering in mid air. A man. Long black hair, gray trousers,   
black undershirt and a blue jacket.   
Ranma quickly took a defensive stance in case the mysterious   
figure was planning to attack him. After all, the Anything Goes style   
specialized in mid air combat which, he thought, would give him the   
advantage in a fight where his opponent and him were airborne.  
  
The fight, however, never took place.   
The stranger didn't had any interest in fighting. He just wanted to   
talk. After leading him to a building's rooftop, where they could carry on   
with their chat without calling the attention from the citizens below, the   
conversation began.  
  
"Who are you?" Ranma asked.  
  
The stranger blinked. It appeared he was hoping for Ranma to know his   
identity already. But then again, the martial artist was never really good   
at remembering a face.  
  
"You don't remember me?" he inquired.  
  
"Should I?"  
  
"Three years ago," he told him, in an attempt to refresh his memory.   
"I had purple hair back then."  
  
"Err..."  
  
This didn't seem to help much.   
  
"Trunks. Remember?" the Saiyajin finally cut to the chase.  
  
Ranma's brain began to put the pieces of information together, until   
his wide eye expression proved that the remember who the individual was.   
Right after that, he started bombarding Trunks with questions which were all   
answered in due time.  
  
"But I don't get it." the pigtailed boy began, once Trunks was done   
with his story. "Why were you hiding from us back at Hikawa Temple?"  
  
"My presence here is suppose to be a secret." Trunks answered. "Only   
Sailor Pluto, who brought me here, and Rei Hino, who can detect my ki, know   
of me. And now there's you as well."  
  
"But why is it suppose to be a secret in the first place?" Ranma   
went on, "I don't think the girls would mind seeing you again."  
  
"Do you want the short or the long version?"  
  
"Go ahead with the long one." he told him. "It'll take a while   
before Akane comes out of the movies, so I have time to spare."  
  
Trunks pretty much told Ranma the same thing he told Rei a couple of   
days ago. That is... with a few modifications, of course. After all, he   
couldn't tell the martial artist about the true identity of the Sailor   
Senshi, so he always referred as the girls and the heroines as two different   
groups.   
He did tell Ranma about his past relationship with Makoto and how   
avoiding her now would avoid several complications as well as a lot of pain   
and the reawakening of bitter memories. Ranma appeared to take sympathy on   
that.  
As for the Sailor Senshi business, the Saiyajin hybrid said that   
Sailor Pluto had asked him to keep a low cover when fighting the unknown   
enemy (which was in a way true). This meant that he couldn't interact with   
Juuban's renowned heroines. Trunks didn't liked lying, but he convinced   
Ranma that all of this was done so there would be no alteration in this   
world's time line, being that one of the conditions Pluto had imposed on him   
in order to come here. Ranma seemed to believe all he said.  
  
"So, who is this enemy?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know, and neither does Pluto." Trunks replied, "For now,   
we're stuck at the defense until we can find out more."  
  
Ranma had then offered his help in order to fight the new enemy. If   
someone was going to mess around with his world, he had something to say   
about it all. Even if this was the Senshi's territory, his martial artist   
oath demanded that he helped those in need... not to mention that this new   
challenge sounded quite interesting too. Things had been going a little   
slow since his fight with Saffron, and the only worthy fights he'd been   
getting so far were with Ryouga or Happosai, which weren't as often as   
before.  
  
His proposal, though, was refused by the once purple haired warrior.   
Trunks didn't seem to think less of the martial artist's skills, but as long   
as the enemy's identity and power level remained a mystery, the best thing   
to do for now would be playing it safe. Which meant involving as few people   
as possible.  
Ranma didn't like it, but agreed to keep out of the way.  
  
  
End of Flashback  
  
[Okay, Trunks. I won't get involved.] Ranma thought, [But if those   
'friends' of yours set one foot on Nerima, don't expect me to sit back and   
do nothing about it.]  
  
**********  
  
"Hold it right there!" she shouted.  
  
And yes... the Raiders actually DID held still the moment Sailor   
Moon's voice was heard. All five of them turned around to face the five   
girls who had come to interfere with their work. Or so it would appear.   
  
The Senshi carefully analyzed their opponents. Five in total, but   
not all looked the same. Two of them had silver fur while the other three,   
who looked slightly smaller, were entirely brown. The silver monsters began   
to advance towards them. Although they only walked on two legs, the way   
they bent forward gave the impression that they used all four limbs to move.   
The remaining three Raiders quickly gathered the material they stole and   
began to run to the back of the warehouse, leaving the fight to their silver   
comrades.  
  
"She said: HOLD IT!!" Mars shouted to the three fugitives. "MARS   
FLAME SNIPER!"  
  
The arrow flew right towards the trio, reaching one of them and   
causing it to blow up like a grenade afterwards. The remaining two were   
near when the explosion occurred and were thrown off balance by the strength   
of it. Mars was about to shoot another arrow, but one of the silver Raiders   
launched towards her and forced her to draw back.  
  
In the meantime, Mercury, Venus and Moon were busy dealing with the   
other Raider who kept moving too fast for them to get a good shot. Once it   
got the girls attention and gave it's two wounded, but still alive, feline   
friends the chance to flee, it charged straight at the three girls.  
  
"VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!!" Venus summoned, once she saw that   
the enemy was running right towards her.  
  
The Raider dodged the heart shaped bolt by jumping against the wall   
to his right, sinking its sharp claws into the concrete so it wouldn't fall.   
It even began to run on the wall, like a spider, as he got closer to the   
test subjects.  
  
Venus could only think of one thing as she saw the monster jumping   
right in front of her, claws coming first: Duck. The creature passed inches   
above her, landing near the entrance of the warehouse.  
  
"MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!!"   
  
This time, the Raider was in no position to dodge. The water based   
blast hit it right in the back, shoving it against a fence. It fell to the   
ground, but quickly got up, showing little damage and no intention to   
surrender.  
  
"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!!"  
  
"MARS FLAME SNIPER!!"  
  
A big growl came out of the creature's mouth when the two blasts   
got it. Once the smoke cleared out, it remained standing, but obviously   
wounded. The monster began a vicious attack with it's claws, forcing both   
Senshi to the defensive instead of the offensive. Jupiter managed to move   
out of the creature's range once it delivered a powerful cut with its paw,   
which left deep marks on the wall behind her.  
  
As the fight went on, and the warehouse got more and more damaged   
along with it, the Senshi eventually gathered up. The two monsters still   
held their ground in spite of the numerous wounds on their bodies.  
  
"Okay, girls," Moon declared, "Let's do this one more time."  
  
"Right!"   
  
"Here goes the bait!" Jupiter declared, "JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!!"  
  
As expected, the two creatures jumped out of the way in order to   
avoid the countless bolts which were fired by the Thunder Senshi each time   
she spun. What they didn't know was that this little distraction gave the   
remaining Senshi the time to prepare a combined attack.  
  
"MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!!"   
  
"VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!!"  
  
"MARS FLAME SNIPER!!"  
  
"STAR LIGHT HONEY MOON THERAPY KISS!!"  
  
That was just too much for the two Raiders to avoid. They both went   
to a better place with one last growl. The five girls let out a collective   
sigh of relief once they saw that no trace of their enemies was left.   
  
"Is it just me, our are those things getting tougher each passing   
day?" Venus asked to no one in particular.   
  
"Trust me. I wished it was only you..." Jupiter told her.   
  
"What about the two brown ones who were left?" Moon asked.  
  
"Most likely got away." Mars assumed. "It's kind of a pattern each   
time we face them."  
  
Two weeks had passed since the first Raider showed up in Juuban. The   
first of many. For at least once every three days, a group of feline   
monsters appeared in places such as iron and steel industries with the   
intention to loot all they could. The way they did it was rather bold too.   
They just barged in, destroyed everything that was in their path and took   
the quarry.   
  
At first, those monsters were rather easy to deal with. As a matter   
of fact, the meaning of such acts was what concerned the Senshi the most   
instead of the actual threat the Raiders represented. Compared to previous   
enemies, these cat monsters sought something completely different. No Star   
Seeds, no energy, no pure hearts or something of the sort. Just metal, fuel   
and other materials which were common in heavy industry. This confused the   
short skirted ones.  
  
However, each new encounter proved to be more difficult than the   
last. Today's combat had lasted more than usual and the Senshi could feel   
that future battles were certainly going to get tougher as well.  
  
**********  
  
Hotaru Tomoe sighed. She had lost her group and was pretty much lost   
herself as well. Most girls her age would probably be crying right now if   
put in her place. But then again, Hotaru was older than she appear, or to   
put it in a more complex but yet accurate way, she was also a lot older than   
she really was, even if she still acted like a ten year old most of the time.  
  
However, this advantage didn't took away the fact that she was lost   
in a place completely unfamiliar to her. Sure she had seen the entrance when   
the entire class came into the museum, but she became so distracted with the   
exhibition that she didn't realize that her group was moving on without her.   
End of result: she was lost.  
  
She began to walk around the place to find her class, but in the   
end it got her even more lost. Well... she just hoped that her teacher would   
notice that she wasn't there in order to start searching as well.  
  
"Hey, are you all right?" said a voice, "Are you lost?"  
  
Hotaru gazed up so she could see the person talking to her. It was   
an adult dressed in simple brown trousers, white shirt, a yellow mustard tie   
and brown shoes. His long black hair was held back in a pony tail.  
Hotaru shyly nodded while pressing her school bag tighter against   
her chest. The man then squatted in order to see the girl face to face. It   
was then that Hotaru saw that he had blue eyes and was kinda handsome.   
  
"What's your name?" he asked with a smile.  
  
Handsome or not, he was a stranger. And Hotaru knew better than to   
give her name to a stranger. Haruka-papa had been very repetitive on the   
subject as well.   
  
"My daddy said that I'm not suppose to talk to strangers." she said.  
  
The man blinked to the response. In spite her apparent age, the girl   
was acting quite calm considering that she was lost.   
  
"Well, that definitively is good advice." the man said, "But you   
don't have to worry. I work here, see?" as he pointed to his badge.  
  
"Anyone can get one of those." she responded. "How do I know you   
didn't steal it? There's no picture on that thing."  
  
A second surprise. This child was definitively smarter than her age   
seem to point out. Such cleverness caused a warm smile to appear on his face.  
  
"Hmm, I guess you're right again." he declared, as he pulled his   
wallet out of his trousers' rear pocket, "But I can fix that. Look: here I   
have my driver's license and there's a picture in it with my name also. The   
name is the same in my badge."  
  
"Your name is Takeuchi Akira?" Hotaru asked as she saw the driver's   
license.  
  
"So, do I pass?"  
  
The girl nodded in a new sign of trust.  
  
"I'm sorry if I sounded rude, but papa told me I shouldn't talk to   
strangers." she said.  
  
"It's all right, really." Akira told her. "I'm sure your dad will   
be very proud to know you did as he told you to. So, can I know your name?"  
  
"Tomoe Hotaru."  
  
"Very nice to meet you, Hotaru-chan." he greeted, "May I help you in   
finding your dad? You seem rather lost."  
  
"Actually, I didn't came with my parents," she said, as blushed at   
the sound of 'chan', "I'm here on a field trip."  
  
"Well then, let's go look for your class and teacher." he suggested,   
as he offered his hand. "I think there's a group your age on a field trip   
gathered at the entrance."  
  
Hotaru was a little hesitant at first, but ended up accepting   
Akira's hand. Well... actually, she only manages to curl her five fingers   
around two of his, since the man's hand was too big for her to hold entirely.  
Akira walked a little slower than usual as he made his way towards   
the entrance so the girl would be able to keep up with him.   
  
"So, you're a museum man?" the child began.  
  
"Museum man?" Akira asked a little intrigued by that use of words.   
  
"Well, you work in a museum, right?" she explained, "How is it   
called then?"  
  
"Well, no. I'm not a museum man." Akira replied with a chuckle.   
"Actually, I don't work directly in the museum. I'm an architect; I was sent   
here by my boss to work on a project. You see, the museum is going to build   
a new section and I'm helping out."  
  
"Ooooh, I see." Hotaru realized, while sounding like a ten year old   
at last. "That sounds really neat. But... won't you get in trouble if your   
boss finds out you're helping me instead of working? I don't want to cause   
any trouble."  
  
"I don't think my boss will mind. Besides, I certainly can't leave a   
pretty girl on her own when she needs help." he told her with a smile.   
"Let's keep this our little secret, okay?"  
  
"Okay!" she beamed.  
  
"Look, that must be you teacher over there."   
  
"Yes it's her. Thank you very much, Akira-san!"   
  
"Don't mention it."  
  
**********  
  
"Proceed, Eron." the Lord commanded.  
  
"With pleasure, my Lord." the scientist stated, "Now that all of you   
have seen the footage I've recorded during my Raiders last battles, I would   
like to show you a more technical analysis of the Sailor Senshi's powers.   
These are just preliminary results of my investigation. However, I thought   
it was my duty to inform his greatness, as well as my dear colleges, on how   
the investigation is proceeding so far."  
  
Arlakk let out a dry humph!. If there was something from Eron that   
bothered him (among the other vast things of him that he didn't like) it   
probably was the scientist's ability to suck up to the Lord.  
Sitting on the other side of the large table, Sorine showed an   
undiverted attention to Eron's explications. The Lord, witnessing everything   
from the head of said table had his arms crossed in front of his chest.  
  
"First of all, presenting subject number 1: Sailor Jupiter." Eron   
began, as he pointed to the hologram which appeared at the center of the   
table. "Her attacks are based on lightning. According on the data I managed   
to collect, my calculations indicate that her bolts can easily go beyond 500   
volts, enough to eliminate a regular Raider. Passing to more physical   
matters, her strength is basically the same as any human being. Maybe a   
little more on the 'exceptionally strong' side, but nothing to be impressed   
of. Her strategy in combat goes as follows..."  
  
Arlakk took notes on every observation Eron did and then compared   
them with the ones he previously had. He also paid special attention in   
analyzing the subjects powers in case his coworker had missed something,   
which he would gladly rub it in his fa... er... point out.  
  
After several minutes, Eron's speech came to a conclusion:  
  
"And at last, but not least, subject number 5: Eternal Sailor Moon."   
he said. "Unlike her friends, this so-called leader isn't half as agile, nor   
half as strong, and I really doubt that she even half as bright as any of   
the previous Sailor Senshi. To be completely blunt, I must say that her   
skills are rather laughable. She hasn't shown anything outstanding in either   
tactics, planing, strategy or physical attacks whatsoever. Heh, heh... I   
remember there was a time when a Raider had her cornered and was about to   
slice her into ribbons. That girl accidentally tripped and dodge the attack   
completely. Not only that, but when she did, the Raider accidentally struck   
its wrist against something and broke it. I don't know if that little scene   
was embarrassing for Eternal Sailor Moon or for the Raider but I must say..."  
  
"Get to the point, Eron." the Lord told him.  
  
"Right." he acknowledged. "However, in spite of her clumsiness,   
Eternal Sailor Moon counts with an interesting power. It's rather odd to say   
this... but... it seems that her attack consists of a white-feathered-wind   
of some sort. As crazy as it sounds, that attack has been very efficient in   
neutralizing my Raiders. I'm afraid I haven't been able to identify it yet,   
but it appears to be some sort of illusion, which would send this in   
Arlakk's area of expertise."  
  
"You believe that Eternal Sailor Moon is a sorceress?" Sorine asked.  
  
"Actually, assuming that all Sailor Senshi are sorceresses wouldn't   
be out of the question." Arlakk cut in.  
  
"Would you care to elaborate on that theory, Arlakk?" the Lord   
suggested.  
  
"With pleasure." the warlock declared, as he got up. "Several   
persons think that magic is a power which comes from inside a sorcerer.   
Although true to some extent, that hypothesis isn't all there is to it. A   
sorcerer, or sorceress in this case, uses her body as a way to control   
external forces. The host herself isn't magical by any means, she just   
summons the power from an external energy into her body, which she can then   
shape according to her will."  
  
"Logical." Sorine realized. "Each of the Sailor Senshi represent a   
planet from this Solar system. Are you suggesting that such planets are the   
source of their power?"  
  
"It's a possibility." Arlakk pointed out. "What I am sure of though,   
is the fact that their skills are 100% magical. Actually, in order for a   
sorceress to summon the power, she must do it through a gesture, word or   
some sort of catalyzing material. In the Sailor Senshi's case it appears to   
be both gesture and words which allow them to summon this energy they use."  
  
"That's all very nice." Eron cut in. "But that doesn't help us in   
identifying Sailor Moon's attack in order to neutralize it."  
  
"My liege," Arlakk began, "I would like to ask your permission to go   
Outside on the next assault Eron's Raiders will perform. That would give me   
a chance to see the Senshi's powers with my own eyes. Maybe my observations   
will be more helpful than my college's."  
  
"Permission granted." said the Lord, "Eron, when will the next   
attack occur?"  
  
"I'm currently breading more Raiders as we speak, they should be   
ready in two days." the scientist responded. "Since the two Assault Raiders   
from yesterday weren't enough, I'll send three this time. I believe that   
will give Arlakk enough of a show to see the defenders at their full power."  
  
"Very well." the Lord nodded. "Are there any other topics which need   
to be discussed before this meeting is over?"  
  
"Yes, My Lord, there is." Sorine began, "Eron, the material your   
Raiders have been brining isn't sufficient. Your station isn't using its   
full potential in creating enough Raiders to get the quantity I need."  
  
"My staff is working around the clock." Eron told her. "I can assure   
you we're working at our full capacity."  
  
"Not logical." Sorine went on. "If so, the numbers of Raiders should   
be doubled."  
  
"Truth be told, my dear Sorine," he explained, "part of my staff is   
busy breading an Elite Raider. As you know, those don't grow on trees.   
Besides, I can't send *all* the Raiders I'm able to produce at once,   
otherwise, the defenders might get killed during a fight, and we don't want   
that, do we?"  
  
"Your approach on the matter isn't efficient." she said, "In order   
to collect the material I need, I ask authorization to send some of my   
Sentries Outside to do the job."  
  
"Permission denied." the Lord made clear. "We can't risk the Juuban   
locals to know more than they need to known regarding their attacker. Your   
Sentries, although powerful, are bound to call too much attention. Be   
patient Sorine, you will have the materials you requested, but there's still   
no sign that we'll need project Dark Snowfall in this mission, which makes   
testing the defenders our top priority right now."  
  
**********  
  
[Number 207.] Rei thought, as she checked the address she had   
written down with the door in front of her. [This must be it.]  
  
The Shinto priestess rang the bell and began to wait for Trunks to   
open the door. She had been keeping contact with him occasionally, but this   
was the first time she came to his apartment. To be frank, it made her a   
little nervous. Never before had she gone into another guy's place on her   
own. Even if Trunks was nothing more than a friend, he was still a member of   
the opposite sex.   
  
[A very *fine* example of the opposite sex] she said to herself.   
  
She quickly shook that thought away. He was her friend, but nothing   
more. As much as she would certainly like a boyfriend like him, she couldn't   
picture the Saiyajin hybrid as something more than a friend. Well...   
actually... picturing him like that wasn't *that* difficult. He was after   
all very... No, wait. She was doing it again.  
  
[Com'on, Rei!] she lectured herself, [That kind of thinking was   
okay when you were fourteen, but you're seventeen now!]  
  
"Waiting for someone?" said a voice from behind.  
  
The girl jumped with a yelp of surprised and immediately turned   
around. She calmed down when she realized that it was only Trunks who, by   
the way, didn't looked like he was expecting that kind of reaction from her.  
  
"Oh, it's you, Trunks. Don't do that!" she told him.  
  
"Sorry." he apologized. "Didn't mean to scare you. Have you been   
waiting here long?"  
  
"I just got here." she said more calm. "I thought you'd be here by now."  
  
"I had to stay a little longer at work." Trunks pointed out as he   
took out his keys and opened the door. "After you."  
  
Rei made her way inside the apartment with her host following behind.  
The place was simple, just like any apartment, but nice in overall.   
There was a living room with a big sofa and couch of the same blue color   
facing a medium size television. To her left, an easy accessible kitchen   
with all the necessary equipment. A bathroom behind, a bedroom by her right   
and a glass door in front, leading towards the balcony.   
What surprised her though, was the fact that everything was...   
well... tidy. If her memory was right, the last time Trunks came to this   
world, he lived in a real mess (to put it lightly). She could still remember   
how identifying his floor was an impossibility with all the stuff that was   
scattered all over it.  
  
Something came back into her mind: she was with a guy... alone...   
in his apartment. Maybe these were modern times, but in Japan, decent   
teenage girls didn't do such bold things. She found relief when she   
remembered that it was Trunks the one she was with. He wouldn't try to do   
something to take advantage of her, not in a million years! Not   
shy-easy-blushing Trunks. That just couldn't happen.  
  
"Okay, I'm gonna take my clothes off." Trunks stated.  
  
"WHAT??"   
  
"Yeah, this tie is really bothering me." he explained, oblivious to   
her reaction, "I don't want to wear it more than I already have to. I'll go   
change. Make yourself at home."  
  
Trunks just walked towards his bedroom as he undid his yellow   
mustard tie and unbutton the top of his shirt. Once he closed his door, a   
very flushed Rei was left alone in the living-room. She didn't had to go   
look at herself in a mirror, she knew very well that she was probably   
blushing.  
  
[I'm making a fool of myself...]  
  
Moments later, once Rei finally got used to the situation she was in,   
Trunks came out of his room dressed in his default baggy gray pants and   
black undershirt. He offered his guest a glass of water to which she   
accepted in good nature.  
  
"So, what brings you here?" he began.  
  
"Well, basically, I just wanted to see how you were doing since the   
last time we met." she told him.  
  
"That's really nice of you, I don't get many visits here."   
  
"Doesn't Setsuna drop by often?"  
  
"Very few times actually." Trunks responded. "Although we always see   
each other to check on you girls each time a monster appears. By the way,   
you fought very well in the last battle. Congratulations. All of you have   
certainly become stronger since the last time I saw you."  
  
"Thanks." Rei said. "Although that last fight wasn't easy. These cat   
creatures are getting tougher each time."  
  
"Yeah, I noticed." the Saiyajin hybrid pointed out. "It seems like   
the enemy is constantly boosting up its monsters after each battle so   
they'll be able to defeat you."  
  
"We thought about that possibility also." the Shinto priestess   
stated, "Although..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well..." she began, "Ami came up with a theory on our last Senshi   
meeting. It made us think that maybe there's something more behind all this."  
  
"Really? Could you tell me more about it?"  
  
"Sure. I was going to tell you anyway, but since you brought up the   
subject already, here goes..."  
  
Flashback  
  
"Sorry I'm late, girls!" Usagi apologized as she took deep breaths.   
  
"Well, you're just a half hour late." Rei told her sarcastically,   
"We were actually expecting you to take longer."  
  
"Well excuuuuse me for keeping such a grumpy old lady like yourself   
waiting!" the odango girl countered.  
  
Rei's left eyebrow began to twitch. Curse the day Usagi had found   
that hair dye on her bathroom! She already began to regret suggesting Trunks   
to change his hair color. Before she could say something in return, Luna   
ordered the two girls to calm down.  
  
It was one of those brain drilling sessions where everyone tried to   
share as much information as possible regarding the new enemy. Such things   
as apparent weaknesses, patterns in the way each attack was done, possible   
motives. Basically, anything which could come in handy.  
  
"As much as I keep looking at the city's map, I can't seem to find   
a particular pattern which can help us guess the next attack." Artemis   
declared. "All of these invasions seem to be held at random points. There's   
even factories which have been attacked twice."  
  
"Why on Earth would a bunch of cats want steel, iron and stuff like   
that?" Makoto asked to no one in particular. "Shouldn't they be after balls   
of string or something similar?"  
  
"Trust me, as a representative of the feline kind, I would think so   
as well." Luna told her.  
  
"Personally, I'd like to know where they're taking all the things   
they stole." Minako added. "Those monsters just come and go without leaving   
trace... well... except for all the property damage, that is. But there's   
still no sign of their whereabouts."  
  
"Well, Artemis and I saw how the two remaining monsters from last   
fight used some sort of dimensional portal to leave the warehouse." Luna   
brought out. "We weren't able to see what was on the other side though."  
  
Everyone kept on discussing for a couple of more minutes until a   
good and deserved brake was in order.   
  
"This doesn't make any sense!" Usagi wined. "We're getting nowhere!"   
  
After all, she could be spending more time with Mamoru instead of   
staying here, trying to come up with reasons behind the attacks. Reasons   
which have all been rather unfruitful so far.   
  
"Girls, there's something about all this that I keep asking myself   
about." Ami suddenly began.  
  
"You and all of us, for that matter." Rei said.  
  
"No, not about the motive or the location these creatures come from."   
the young genius corrected. "It's mostly the way we've been fighting."  
  
"What about that?" Makoto asked. "They show up. We show up. We blast   
them. End of story, see you next time."  
  
"I'm serious here." she declared. "I mean... isn't it a little odd   
that each time we fight one of those things, the next one just happens to be   
more resistant against the last attack we used. For instance: The first cat   
monster was destroyed by a Flame Sniper, but the second one was rather   
resistant to Rei's attack. We had to use my Aqua Rhapsody to finish it. But   
then the third one was also resistant to that particular attack as well."  
  
"Well, I don't see much of a mystery there." Makoto pointed out.   
"The enemy is obviously making tougher monsters so that they don't get   
killed by us so easily."  
  
"Yeah, like that they'll be able to carry on with their mission,   
which ever it is, more efficiently." Rei added.   
  
"That sounds like a reasonable justification." Ami admitted. "But   
still... something just doesn't seem to add up here."  
  
"Like what?" Usagi asked.  
  
"For instance, each time we go to a factory to stop them, well...   
we take some time to get there. Last day, according to security cameras, the   
attack was done at 4:00 PM. We got there by 4:30 and they were still there."  
  
"Well, maybe they were still gathering all the material they needed."   
Usagi suggested.   
  
"But there was only five of them." the young genius went on. "How   
much can five monsters carry? Not enough to take half an hour, if you ask me."  
  
"Are you saying that those creatures were deliberately waiting for   
us?" Rei asked. "Why would they do that?"  
  
"Yeah, I mean if they wanted their materials so bad, they should be   
trying to avoid us, not confront us." Venus remarked.   
  
"Unless, those materials aren't what they're exactly after." Ami   
continued. "The first creature we fought didn't seem to be looking for any.   
Actually, it was just wandering around Juuban, causing havoc. In my opinion,   
it was trying to get itself noticed."  
  
"A bait!" Luna suddenly stated. "The first cat monster was nothing   
more than a bait."  
  
"What? Bait? Why? What are you talking about?" Usagi inquired,   
completely confused.  
  
"Of course! It makes sense!" Artemis added.   
  
"What? What does?" Usagi asked again, a little more irritated.  
  
"We're being tested." Ami concluded.  
  
Flashback  
  
"That *does* make a lot of sense." Trunks affirmed. "I actually   
haven't thought about that. If the enemy learned all your strengths and   
weaknesses they could overpower you."  
  
"Scary thought, huh?"  
  
Trunks moved his hand towards his face and began to rub his chin,   
thinking about what the Shinto priestess had recently told him.   
This definitively made a lot of sense. It would also explain why   
Setsuna didn't want him to fight right away, since she probably had some   
sort of idea all along that the enemy was studying the Senshi. Fighting the   
first monster would've made him another test subject for the enemy. Trunks   
made sure to talk to Setsuna about this later.  
  
"If that's the case," he suddenly said, "then the person behind   
those monsters might not take long in showing up."  
  
"You think so?"  
  
"I think it's quite clear that there's someone controlling all those   
cat creatures. They don't look smart enough to be working on their own."   
Trunks stated. "If the one in charge thinks he has you cornered, he'll   
probably show his face. That's when I'll come in. Don't worry."  
  
"Well, I don't think we have much of a choice, do we?" Rei asked,   
almost jokingly. "Well, changing to more pleasant matters, how have you been   
these last weeks? I see you got yourself a job."  
  
"I've been doing pretty well, thanks." he said. "Getting a job   
wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. It took me a little time through."  
  
"And what exactly are you doing?"  
  
"I'm an architect."  
  
"Architect? Wow... I never imagined you as one."  
  
"To be honest, I never pictured myself as one either eight years   
ago." Trunks confessed. "But after the Jinzouningen, my world was in high   
demand of architects. I started doing it to help rebuild everything they   
destroyed and ended up liking it as a career."  
  
"Well that sounds great." Rei stated. "Does it pay enough to cover   
your expenses?"  
  
"Enough to keep my stomach full." he told her.  
  
"In that case you must be making a fortune." she joked.  
  
"Since when did you became a comedian?"   
  
**********  
  
"Hop in." Haruka told the girl. "How was your day, Hotaru-chan? Was   
your field trip fun?"   
  
"Yeah, it was." Hotaru responded as she put her seat belt on. "All   
those paintings from the Renaissance were great. And here, I got   
Michiru-mama a broach from the exhibition."  
  
"That's very thoughtful of you, Hotaru-chan." Michiru thanked as she   
received the present from the little girl. "It's beautiful."  
  
Haruka's car drove through the streets of Tokyo as Hotaru kept on   
narrating the days events. With time, a particular subject appeared.  
  
"Setsuna paid us a visit earlier." Haruka began, turning the   
conversation a little more serious. "The time to fight will come soon."   
  
"According to Setsuna, the true enemy will show up soon." Michiru   
added. "We need to protect the princess at any cost. The future depends on it."  
  
"Will I fight too?" Hotaru asked.   
  
"Not yet, Hotaru-chan." Haruka told her, "You're our strong card. We   
can't let the enemy analyze you like the Inner Senshi. We have to strike in   
one decisive blow. Michiru and I will go first. Maybe Setsuna will join us,   
I'm not sure."  
  
No one spoke afterwards. Michiru gazed through the window, her eyes   
traveling along the sea as the car raced by the cost side.  
  
"The sea is restless." she spoke. "A big storm is about to come."  
  
**********  
  
"All the Raiders are ready, waiting by the teleportation chamber,   
Master Eron." Arna informed.   
  
"Good. Is that no-good necromancer coworker of mine with them?"  
  
"Yes. Master Arlakk is waiting as well."   
  
"Very well." he approved. "Open the portal and let them do their   
stuff. In the meantime, I'd like to see how our Elite Raider is coming up."  
  
"Yes, sir."   
  
The duo walked through the laboratory's corridors with Arna   
updating her superior on every single detail about the project. Eron, who by   
that time was checking the results her assistant had given him, just nodded   
to every comment.   
  
"All of the Raider's physical abilities are working at 100% percent   
and it's mental capacities have reached the expected level." Arna notified.   
"We're still training it against regular Raiders, but it won't take long   
before we cover that part and start training him with weapons."  
  
"Where is it now? I want to see it."   
  
"In the training room, sir."  
  
As the two of them moved closer to the so-called training room,   
several growls and screams could be heard. All of them accompanied with   
sounds of blows, wood braking and bones crushing. The sound of the battle   
grew so loud, that Arna began to consider heading back. Eron seemed   
unaffected by such racket.  
  
"There's our little baby." he said with a grin as he watched through   
the window.  
  
Arna peeked through the window as well, just to see the slaughtered   
bodies of several Raiders lying on the ground. All of them covered in their   
own blood. Some of them with missing limbs and some with all their limbs,   
but bent in unnatural ways.   
What was only a glimpse, was enough to make the girl sick. She tried   
to hold down the urge to vomit by repeating to herself that Eron wouldn't   
like to see such weakness on a professional.  
  
Standing up in all the massacre, a dark figure held the remaining   
cat beast by the throat, lifting it a few feet over the ground as it tried   
desperately to kick its way free. With one last press, everyone present   
could clearly hear how the Raider's neck snapped, dying instantaneously and   
causing its body to go limp.  
  
"Time?" Eron asked.  
  
"2 minutes and 23 seconds." responded a member of his staff.  
  
"Acceptable." he replied. "Passing to the use of weapons shouldn't   
take that long."  
  
  
  
End of chapter 5...  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Author's notes:  
  
I had some trouble in finding out Hotaru's exact age at the end of   
Sailor Stars, so I had to assume that she looked around 10, although I may   
be wrong. In any case, mentally speaking, she is a lot older.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. Chapter 6

Dragon Ball Z/ Sailor Moon/ Ranma ½ fanfic.  
  
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."  
  
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)  
  
  
Warning: All characters from this fanfic are copyright from Akira   
Toriyama (Dragon Ball Z), Naoko Takeuchi (Sailor Moon) and Rumiko Takahashi   
(Ranma ½) so don't sue me. By the way, also worth mentioning, this story is   
a sequel to my other fanfic "Boy meets girls". In other words, there will be   
a lot of things you won't understand in this story if you haven't read "Boy   
meets girls" (and its side stories) first. If that's the case... then what   
the Hell are you doing here still reading this? Go to   
http://lavender.fortunecity.com/flamingos/122 instead, and start at the real   
beginning of the story like you're suppose to!  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AND NOW ON WITH....  
  
  
Chapter 6: The time for introductions is NOT in order.  
  
  
  
  
"STARLIGHT HONEYMOON THERAPY KISS!!"  
  
If Arlakk was a more expressive person, he certainly would've blown   
up his cover by shouting in amazement the moment Eternal Sailor Moon took   
the three Assault Raiders with a single blast.  
  
No wonder Eron wasn't able to identify the girls power. This was   
pure magic, just like he suspected from the very beginning. But not just   
*any* magic. This was by far one of the most impressive magical energies,   
if not *the* most impressive one, he had felt over his years as a sorcerer.   
He had sensed the girl's energy the moment she appeared to face Eron's   
little toys, but that was nothing compared to what he recorded the moment   
she did that last attack. The remaining four Senshi weren't even close to   
that kind of power. How foolish of Eron to underestimate the defenders'   
leader.  
  
The brooch. That was the source of her power. You couldn't conceal   
such a powerful artifact from his experienced eyes. He could practically see   
how all the energy Sailor Moon wield came out of her brooch.  
Arlakk's fascination grew even more when he realized the   
possibilities of that artifact. His powers would increase a thousand times   
if he had it. He could cast spells faster, making them at least ten times   
more powerful and last even longer than they normally should, turning him   
into the most powerful sorcerer who ever existed.   
  
In spite of being a rather inexpressive individual, Arlakk couldn't   
help but grin at this new discovery. This planet had definitively more to   
offer than he first thought. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on   
your point of view), he was so focused on the new magical artifact, that he   
didn't noticed a couple looking at the fight from the top of a building. If   
it wasn't for the concealment spell Arlakk had cast upon himself, the two   
figures would've seen him, but the current situation made things pretty even   
for both parties by being unaware of the other's presence.  
  
From his viewing point, Trunks let out a big sigh of relief as he   
saw the remaining Raiders fall to the ground. The promise he made of not   
interfering until due time was getting harder for him to keep. If it wasn't   
for Pluto reminding him of their deal, he certainly would've fought this   
battle. It was fortunate that, in spite of the harsh fight, none of the   
Senshi had sustain any damage.  
  
"Until the enemy shows his face, you must not interfere." Pluto   
suddenly said, practically reading Trunks' mind.   
  
"For how long?" he asked. "Why isn't the enemy showing up?"  
  
"It's all a matter of time. We must be patient."   
  
Unfortunately, patience was not one of the things Trunks had   
inherited from his mother. His father's genes were more dominant in that   
particular area.  
  
**********  
  
"What time is it?"   
  
"Haruka... you asked me the same question five minutes ago." Michiru   
answered.   
  
"I'm sorry." she apologized, "I must sound quite annoying."  
  
"Don't worry." she told her. "I understand that you're troubled, but   
I'm sure that the enemy won't take too long in showing up. Pluto said so   
herself."  
  
"But why here?" Haruka inquired. "All of those monsters have only   
attacked factories so far. What would they be doing in a park?"   
  
"You can always ask the enemy when we face him."  
  
"Somehow, I doubt that those cat monsters are very talkative."  
  
It seemed that Setsuna's premonition powers (if you want to call   
them that way), although hampered since the enemy re-opened the dimension   
hole, were not gone. A couple of days ago, she appeared at their apartment   
with news. The enemy was going to show himself again. The only difference   
was that the time fluxes indicated an important event, an event which needed   
the Outer Senshi present. Pluto didn't say more about the matter and Haruka   
could somehow sense that the Time Senshi was rather scarce on information as   
well, which couldn't be good in any way. If Pluto was starting to have   
doubts on this planet's future, it certainly couldn't be good.  
  
"Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama, can I have an ice cream?" Hotaru   
suddenly asked.   
  
"Yeah, sure. Why not." Haruka declared as she got up, "It's better   
than sitting on a bench, waiting for something to happen. But let's try to   
stay near the park, okay?"  
  
"'kay!"  
  
Hotaru went on hopping joyfully towards the ice cream parlor while   
Haruka and Michiru tagged along not far behind.  
  
"Look at her," Michiru began, as her sight softly touched the little   
girl, "she looks so carefree in spite of all the tension."  
  
"Quite a little treasure." the blonde added. "Sometimes I have   
problems placing her and Sailor Saturn together. She can be so different   
when fighting against an enemy."  
  
"Do you think she'll fight today?"  
  
"I don't know." Haruka responded. "It all depends on what will   
happen. In any case, I told her to wait till the enemy shows up. First we   
have to wait for the Inner Senshi to appear. Once they do, we'll both show   
up to help. If things are still too hectic, We'll need Hotaru."  
  
In a matter of time, Hotaru picked her flavor and the trio began to   
walk back towards their bench. The purple haired girl kept most of her   
attention on eating her tidbit without dropping any of it while she held   
Haruka with her other hand.  
  
"Looks like someone took our seat while we were gone." Michiru   
commented, as she came to a halt.  
  
Hotaru took her eyes away from her ice cream and directed them   
towards the bench to confirm that statement. Yep, someone was definitively   
sitting there while reading a book. Some guy with long black hair. Oh well,   
they'd just have to find another bench. Wait a minute... guy with long black   
hair? Hotaru took a second look. She knew that man.  
  
"Akira-san!" she suddenly said, as she let go of Haruka's hand and   
went towards him.  
  
"Hey, Hotaru! What are you..." Michiru spoke.  
  
Trunks attention was pulled out of the book he was reading the   
moment someone called his name, or to be more specific, his alter-ego's name.   
He recognized the voice's owner once she saw her. Behind her, two other   
persons, a young couple, were approaching as well.  
  
"Hi, there." Trunks said, as he closed his book. "What a coincidence   
of seeing you here."  
  
"Akira-san, HI! Howa you doin'?"   
  
"Hotaru-chan," Michiru declared, "don't disturb the nice man."  
  
"Michiru-mama, Haruka-papa, this is the man from the museum I was   
telling you about." Hotaru explained.   
  
"Hi, I'm Takeuchi Akira." Trunks said simply while getting up.   
"Pleased to meet you."  
  
"Hi." Michiru responded. "I'm Kaiou Michiru."  
  
"And I'm Tenou Haruka," the blonde added. "I see you've already met   
Hotaru."  
  
"Yes, we bumped into each other a couple of days ago in a museum.   
Your daughter had lost her school group."  
  
"Well, she's not really our daughter," Haruka corrected, "We're   
just her legal guardians, although we've taken affection on the little   
'monster' really fast. Thank you for helping her out though."  
  
Haruka rubbed her hand against the top of Hotaru's head, causing   
her to giggle.   
This revelation also helped Trunks to set more clearly the   
relationship these three had. After all, the little girl didn't resembled   
either one of the couple. Especially in order to consider her Haruka and   
Michiru's daughter.   
  
"I hope she wasn't too much of a handful." Michiru stated.  
  
"Not at all. Although I must say that she didn't trust me to help   
her till I showed her some hard proof evidence that I worked at the museum."   
the Saiyajin hybrid brought out. "You must be proud of her. Most girls her   
age don't ask for such a complete report before accepting a stranger's help."  
  
"Well, we try to raise her the best we can." Haruka said.  
  
"What are you doing here, Akira-san?" Hotaru asked. "You're not   
searching for another stranded girl looking for her class, are you?"  
  
"Not really." he chuckled, "I'm actually waiting for someone."  
  
"You're waiting for your girlfriend, right?" she bluntly declared.  
  
"Hotaru-chan, don't be so nosy." Michiru lectured, although there   
wasn't any real threat in her words.   
  
"Don't worry, it's all right." Trunks reassured her with a smile,   
then he looked back at Hotaru. "No, she's not my girlfriend. She's just a   
friend."  
  
"Well, we don't want to take more of your time." Haruka cut in, "We   
should be going ourselves. We have business to attend, right, Hotaru-chan?"  
  
"Oh! Right!" she stated. "Bye, Akira-san, we'll be seeing you!!"   
  
"Good-bye. It was nice to see you again."   
  
Trunks sat down once the three unexpected acquaintances left. He   
checked the time on his wrist watch, and after checking to his right and   
left, opened his book again. He wasn't actually reading, like most people   
who passed by thought. Not that he didn't like reading for that matter, but   
he was just too tense to concentrate on the book. Actually, he didn't bring   
the book so he could read it in the first place. It just gave him an excuse   
to do something (or giving the impression of doing something) instead of   
waiting dumbly for the enemy to appear. Instead of focusing his attention   
on his reading, all of Trunks' senses were pointed towards his setting. If   
Pluto was right about the enemy invading this park, he wanted to be the   
first one to know it when it happened.  
  
After several moments which felt like an eternity for the last   
descendant of the Saiyajin royal bloodline, an unusual, yet familiar, source   
of disturbance arose. He wasn't close enough to see it, but he was able to   
sense it all right. It was those cat monsters. The previous combats he had   
witnessed had been enough for Trunks to determine what their ki felt like.   
One... two... three... four... five... The number of creatures kept growing   
along with the screams of innocent bystanders who were unfortunate enough to   
be at the wrong place and at the wrong time.   
  
Trunks quickly closed his book and ran to the source of the trouble,   
his task of locating it becoming even easier as the number of panicked   
citizens running towards the opposite direction clearly showed where had the   
enemy appeared.  
Before he got too close, he hid behind a bush in order to study the   
scenery without attracting some unwanted attention from the invaders.   
  
Just like he had felt it. An imposing number of cat monsters were   
gathered at the exact center of the park. All of them standing in an ordered   
line, apparently waiting for instructions. Behind the creatures, stood what   
looked like a swirling void of purple light to which Trunks assumed was the   
portal the enemy used to send its minions into this world. His hypothesis   
was proven right as more cat monsters came out of the portal and joined the   
ones already in the park.  
Was this what Pluto meant by an important even? A massive attack? It   
could be. This was, after all, the first time so many cat-monsters were used   
in a single fight. Even if Trunks could sense that their weren't as strong   
as the silver furred ones, the sheer number would put the Senshi in a big   
disadvantage.   
  
Someone walked out of the portal before it closed. Not a creature,   
but a human. At least he looked very human. A man. Tall, strongly built with   
short brown hair. His deep blue eyes gave him a certain predator look which   
complemented the grin on his face very well. He was dressed entirely in   
black at the exception of an unbuttoned white medical robe.  
  
[The enemy... it's him.] Trunks thought. [He finally showed up.]  
  
Eron took a look around the place once he adjusted the collar of his   
robe. All of his Raiders were waiting silently before him like obedient foot   
soldiers. Not far away, he could still hear the terrified screams of the ones   
who witnessed their arrival.   
The scientist contemplated the possibility of sending some of his   
creatures after them in order to get themselves noticed faster. He didn't   
really felt like waiting all day for the defenders to show up, plus the Lord   
wouldn't mind much if he killed one human or two in order to get their   
attention. After all, you always have to break a few eggs in order to make   
an omelet.  
  
"All right, boys!" he said to his troops, "Let's have some fun!"  
  
Without wasting any time the Raiders scattered all over the park,   
destroying everything that stood in their way. Trunks considered facing the   
monsters in order to keep the Juuban citizens safe, but fortunately,   
everyone who could possibly get hurt had already taken the wise decision of   
leaving. The monsters had decided that major property damage would have to   
do instead of mass slaughtering. It wasn't their favorite option, but it was   
better than nothing.  
  
As if on cue, Trunks began to feel five familiar kis. The Senshi   
apparently were near the area before the attack had begun. Not surprisingly,   
since the park was somewhat close to "Crown's video arcades" a place the   
girls usually attended. It was also the place Trunks kept away from the most,   
along with Juuban High School, in order to avoid any possible and accidental   
contact with the five heroines. Or at least four of them, since Rei already   
knew he was here. He wouldn't be surprised if the raven haired girl had felt   
his presence as well the moment they entered the park.  
  
  
Sailor Moon came to a sudden stop along with the rest of the Senshi   
and Tuxedo Kamen once the enemy was in sight range. Without any previous   
announcement, everyone began to do some major cat shooting. Sailor Moon   
would've done one of her speeches, but it felt like a waste of time talking   
to some monsters who only had the word 'break' inserted in their minds.  
The creatures fell like flies with each attack, but more always   
seemed to come. As the fight moved on, the enemy began to regroup, forcing   
the Senshi to follow them at the center of the park.   
  
Trunks followed every movement the Senshi and the Raiders were doing   
and began to track the fight as well, moving cautiously so the heroines nor   
the monsters knew of his presence. Little did he knew that he wasn't the   
only one doing that. Not far away, at the exact opposite side of the park,   
Haruka, Michiru and Hotaru were watching how everything unfolded as well.  
  
"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!!"  
  
Another group of cat monsters was disposed of as hundreds of   
leaf-shaped bolts covered the battlefield. If there was something Makoto was   
grateful of her attack, it certainly was the area it coated. When fighting   
against numerous enemies, it helped a great deal in fixing the odds to their   
advantage.  
  
"Was that the last of them?" Venus asked, as her eyes moved from   
right to left in search of other possible threats.  
  
Mars immediately focused her senses and began to scan the area for   
more 'evil presences' like she used to call them. Next to her, Mercury did   
the same with her computer visor. There was still one left in the proximity.  
  
The sound of two hands clapping broke the silence.  
  
The one that was left was behind a tree.   
  
"Bravo." said a not-so-enthusiastic male voice. "Very well done,   
Sailor Senshi. I didn't expect you to finish with so many Raiders in such   
short time."  
  
The figure Trunks had noticed earlier came to the heroines and the   
tux dressed hero's view. With a grin still pasted on his face, Eron gave an   
arrogant look to his opponents.   
  
"So that's how you call those things." Tuxedo Kamen stated.   
  
Both parties took the time to examine each other for the passing few   
seconds. The Senshi and Tuxedo Mask kept their guard up while Eron simply   
had his hands buried in his robe's pockets.   
  
"Well?" Sailor Moon asked.  
  
"Well... what?" Eron responded.  
  
"Aren't you going to tell us who you are?"   
  
"Would you like me to also give you my phone number while you're at   
it?" he remarked cynically.  
  
"Hun?"  
  
"Oh my, I'm sorry." he went on with the same sarcastic tone. "I   
mustn't be following the villain-introduction-protocol. I guess you were   
expecting me to tell you who am I and for who do I work for."  
  
"Well... we wouldn't have minded if you did." Moon said sincerely.  
  
"Just because I'm good looking doesn't mean I'm stupid."   
  
"Gee, aren't we modest." Mars said as she rolled her eyes.  
  
"I was just being sincere."  
  
"Don't push it, pretty boy." Jupiter brought out. "Maybe you're cute,   
but I've seen better."  
  
"Well, in that case, you must have a horrible taste in men."  
  
"Why you!!"  
  
"Er... excuse me." Tuxedo Kamen cut in, "I think we're getting a   
little off topic here."  
  
"I guess you're right." Jupiter confirmed, then turned towards Eron.   
"So, since you're not going to tell us who you are, I guess will have to   
beat you up and find out later."  
  
"Wrong again." Eron declared calmly. "I'm not the one you'll be   
fighting today."  
  
"Oh? Do you have another kitty for us to play with?" Mars asked.  
  
"Yes and no." the scientist answered. "The Raiders you fought   
earlier were nothing more than a diversion in order to get your attention.   
Your opponent... will be him."  
  
After saying those words, Eron pressed the pin on his robe's lapel,   
causing the purple light void to appear to his right.   
The sound of heavy footsteps could be heard coming out of the portal.   
Soon after that, the defenders of Juuban could make out an humanoid outline   
approaching. The light unable them to identify Eron's 'little surprise', but   
they could tell that it was big and strong. It carried something in its   
right hand too.   
  
Once the creature crossed and the portal closed, everyone could now   
get a good look at the mysterious opponent. It was a Raider, that was quite   
obvious, but very different from the ones the Senshi had fought so far. For   
one thing, it was fully erect and its eyes had an unusual spark of   
intelligence, which wouldn't place it as just some trained pet like it's   
predecessors. Its fur was dark and ears were shorter than the average Raider,   
but what caught the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen's eye was probably the big   
assault rifle it carried.  
Mamoru wasn't really an avid reader of "Guns magazine", but he could   
easily tell that the 'thing' the Raider held couldn't be found in a catalog.   
He just hoped that it looked more dangerous than it really was.  
  
The Elite Raider just raised the weapon, resting the canon against   
his shoulder and pulled a grin.   
  
"Are these enemy?" it asked with a deep voice which could easily be   
mistaken for a growl.  
  
"Yes they are, my friend." Eron answered to his creation. "Remember   
not to kill them, I need them alive in order to take their Essence Spheres."  
  
"Yes, Master."   
  
Eron just took a few steps back and gestured the Elite Raider to   
begin. The monster nodded in response and then glared at the six opponents   
in front f him.   
  
A big white blast came blazing out of the rifle's canon, forcing the   
Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen to split in order to dodge the attack. The ground   
where they had been standing moments ago was now burned to a crisp.   
  
"That just a warning shot." the monster declared, "From now on, no   
more going easy."  
  
Jupiter could see that this wasn't good. The last Raiders were   
already fast enough to cause them troubles. But this guy was obviously   
faster. If that blast would have been directed against a normal human,   
avoiding it would've been an impossibility. It was fortunate that the Sailor   
Senshi's speed was magically enhanced as well. Makoto just hoped it would be   
enough to defeat this monster.  
  
"VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!!"  
  
The cat-creature took his weapon with both hands and swung it like a   
baseball bat towards the incoming attack, deflecting the heart shaped bolt   
somewhere else. Venus could only stare back as she saw how easily the enemy   
had neutralized her best technique.   
She didn't got time to do much more as the Elite Raider quickly   
moved in front of her and slammed the rear end of his rifle against her   
stomach and therefore sent her down to her knees with her arms clutching the   
recently bashed area.  
  
The monster would've gladly hit her over the head now that she was   
vulnerable, but Sailor Jupiter attacking from his left side forced his   
attention away from the blonde. He raised his arms and blocked the kick that   
was about to hit him. Immediately after, he used his left leg to make the   
girl in green trip to the floor.  
Jupiter rolled to her left soon after falling. If she hadn't done so,   
the monster would have impaled her to the ground permanently as his rifle's   
canon came down crushing where she stood seconds ago.  
  
"MARS FLAME SNIPER!!"  
  
The arrow didn't hit him, but at least it distracted the monster   
long enough to give the two fallen Senshi the chance to move out of the way.   
It also gave Eternal Sailor Moon the chance to begin her attack.   
  
"STARLIGHT..."  
  
Those words immediately caught the Elite Raider's attention.  
  
"HONEYMOON..."  
  
With a swift movement, the monster pointed his rifle towards the   
Senshi leader and shot a blast of his own without hesitation.   
  
"Look out!!" Tuxedo Kamen managed to shout as he moved in front of   
his loved one as fast as his feet could impulse him.  
  
He wasn't fast enough to push her away, but he managed to intercept   
the blast by using his own body. The strength of the attack though, sent him   
flying against the one he tried to protect, causing the two of them to fly   
back and make impact against a tree.  
  
Eron watched the whole show with a big grin. It was a pity that he   
didn't had any popcorn to enjoy as well. It looked like Arlakk's information   
had been accurate after all. The stronger the spell, the higher the casting   
time. If his Elite Raider could keep the defender's leader from performing   
her attack (which he was doing quite well), then it was all just a matter of   
time before he could snatch their Essence Spheres and head back home.   
The guy with the fashion sense was now down, but still alive. He   
wouldn't be able to move for an hour though, thanks to Sorine's stunt rifle.  
  
"That... hurt a lot..." Tuxedo Kamen managed to say before passing out.   
  
Sailor Moon had forgotten all about the enemy and was now entirely   
focused on her boyfriend's state. She dropped her scepter and held her   
savior's head with both hands, begging him not to die on her.  
  
[Dumb girl.] Eron thought. [By worrying for that man you left   
yourself wide open for another attack. This will end sooner than I thought.]  
  
The Elite Raider also noticed the opportunity and prepared another   
charge. This time aiming at the defender's leader.   
  
"SPACE SWORD BLASTER!!"  
  
The monster barely moved out of the way as an unsuspected attack cut   
right through his weapon before he could shoot.  
  
[What's this?] Eron asked intrigued, as he looked towards the attack's   
origin.  
  
"We won't let you harm the princess!" said a female voice.  
  
Standing on top of a tree, two unknown Senshi were posing, back   
against back with their arms folded. One of them, a blonde, had a dark blue   
outfit, while her companion had a turquoise fuku which matched her hair   
color.  
  
"Invited by a new age, I'm the magnificent Sailor Ura..."  
  
"NYOI BO!! NOBASU!!"  
  
The shout and the incoming red pole, which went strait at the Elite   
Raider, cut off Sailor Uranus' presentation. The monster was fast enough to   
dodge the attack, but it was surprised none the less. How many defenders   
were there anyway?  
  
Now it was the two Outer Senshi's turn to feel confused. On top of   
a tree, at the exact opposite side of the park, stood an unknown figure. He   
(obviously a he) wore an entire blue Ninja costume. It's sleeves were torn   
off, reveling his arms. His face remained hidden by the well known default   
Ninja hood which only allowed to see his eyes. The weapon he used was a long   
red Bo staff which had previously grown by magical means in order to reach   
the Raider.  
  
"I won't let you hurt anyone else!" said the shrouded figure.  
  
Trunks summoned his weapon back to its original size.   
  
[Who the heck is he?] Uranus and Neptune asked.  
  
[Who the heck are they?] Trunks inquired as he spotted the two Outer   
Senshi.  
  
[More defenders?] Eron thought, [I wonder why they didn't show up   
earlier. Oh well, it doesn't matter really. Let's see how they can handle my   
Elite Raider.]  
  
All the commotion was enough to pull Eternal Sailor Moon back to   
reality. Mamoru was all right. Fortunately, she could still see him   
breathing. When she took her eyes away from him and back into the   
battlefield she saw Uranus and Neptune present for support. What she didn't   
expected though, was the mysterious warrior with the red Bo staff. Her   
friends seemed as surprised as she did.  
  
"Listen, I don't know who you are," Uranus told the newcomer, "but   
this is our fight, so don't butt in!"  
  
"Butt in?" Trunks said somewhat surprised of the girls reaction,   
"I'm sorry, but I can't stand by and just watch any longer."   
  
Tired of being ignored, the Raider decided to start the aggressions   
again by attacking the two new Senshi responsible for the loss of his weapon.  
  
"MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!!"  
  
"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!!"  
  
Oh yeah... maybe he shouldn't forget about the other Senshi as well.   
  
The monster performed a handspring backflip in order to avoid the   
two blasts which were directed to him. What awaited him was yet another   
attack.  
  
"MARS FLAME SNIPER!!"  
  
Much to Rei's joy, her fire arrow connected successfully on her   
designated target while creating an explosion. Much to her grief, the arrow   
did no damage at all. The monster simply used one of his paws to dust off   
the burned fur from his body. He then glared at the girl.   
  
Neptune immediately began to prepare a Deep Submerge the moment the   
monster charged at the Fire Senshi. Rei tried to move out of the way, but   
she accidentally tripped and fell on her butt, making her a sitting duck (or   
Senshi in this case). The monster was now standing in front of her, one arm   
raised, ready to strike.   
  
"DEEP..."  
  
The Ninja suddenly appeared between the two of them, catching the   
Raider's arm with his hand as it came down on Sailor Mars.  
  
"Get out of the way!" shouted Uranus.  
  
Neither the monster, Trunks nor Mars seemed to have listen to that   
warning. On one side, the Raider was stunned that a mere human was able to   
match his strength. He tried to press harder in order to crush down the   
Ninja, but it was all useless. On the other side, Trunks was pretty much   
holding the creature's arm without great effort while Mars' heart was   
beating like drum after such a close call.   
  
"Sorry I'm late." Trunks whispered to his friend.  
  
"Traffic?" she asked.  
  
"Not quite."  
  
Without saying more, Trunks clenched his free hand into a fist and   
sent it right against the cat creature's stomach.  
  
Eron could've sworn that he saw a big lump forming on the Elite   
Raider's back the moment he got struck. What followed was a moan from the   
creature. A very dry and quick moan, as if all the air had left his lungs in   
a mere second. The scientist's eyes went wide with amazement as he witnessed   
how his invention fell to his knees, the rest of the body not taking long in   
falling as well.  
  
"Im... Impossible!" he spat.  
  
A punch couldn't have done that. The Elite Raider's body was   
resistant enough to bear a truck crushing against him at full speed. And   
that was what it took only to bruise him. Seeing the creature down on the   
floor after someone punched him was just impossible. Like Sorine would say:   
Illogical.   
  
The Ninja kicked the beast's body, sending it crushing near Eron's   
feet. The Raider was dead all right. The scientist couldn't see any signs of   
life left in the creature, his eyes had rolled back into their sockets and   
no breathing movements in his chest could be detected.  
  
"There's your little toy." said the Ninja.  
  
Eron glared at the man. The Elite Raider was a creation he felt   
proud of, and this guy had the nerve to talk about it as if it were a mere   
punching bag. This insult to his job, his genius, HIM, could not be forgiven.   
No... he couldn't just walk away defeated after seeing how he killed his   
creation. He couldn't accept it. He would NOT accept it! He was one of the   
three Masters of Tomorrow!! He wasn't going to let this clown dressed in   
blue get away with this insult! Not today, not never!!  
  
"Congratulations..." he said, "you just made the stupidest thing   
anyone could do. You just forced me to fight you."  
  
Everyone took a defensive stance, expecting the first move.   
Trunks tried to feel the opponent's ki and grinned. This guy was all   
talk and no show. Maybe he was stronger than an average human, but that   
didn't made him a worthy adversary. The Elite Raider he recently punched was   
even stronger than him.   
From the back of his eyes, he could see that Mars had a small smile   
on her face. She probably sensed that the enemy was nothing more than a   
fraud as well. Never the less, the best thing would be to capture this guy   
an force him to tell them everything about the enemy, just in case he had   
some allies they needed to know of.   
  
Eron pulled a small flask out of his utility belt. That Ninja was   
going to be sorry he had been born. He would make him suffer by braking all   
of his bones one by one, making him realized his own stupidity.  
The scientist was about to insert the flask in his Hi-tech bracelet when   
something happened.  
  
"Eron, stop!" said a voice.   
  
Everyone turned to meet the new character. Floating above the park,   
a man looked down at them, wrapped in a black high collared cape as well as   
wearing a big hat of the same color. Gray locks of hair cascaded over his   
shoulders like waterfalls. His face was rather difficult to make out since   
the high collar from his cape reached his ears and the shadow that his hat   
created over his face only left his nose and mouth to be seen. To Venus, he   
looked very much like some Anime Vampire Hunter she saw several years back   
on T.V(*), except that instead of carrying a sword, the man held a strange   
four foot long scepter adorned with a spider at the top.   
  
"Arlakk, you idiot!!" Eron growled, "Don't tell them my name!"  
  
"Please... as if somebody cared what your name is." he responded   
calmly, "In any case, I'm here to bring you back. The Lord thinks this   
encounter has been enough for today."  
  
"This isn't over yet!" the scientist yelled at the sorcerer. "I   
still have to make them pay!"  
  
"Very well," Arlakk stated, still calm, "I'll just tell our Lord   
that you refused to follow his orders. Just don't be surprised if he's a   
little upset when you come back."  
  
[Stupid third rate sorcerer!] Eron cursed.   
  
Still, Eron was not an idiot as to disobey a direct order from his   
Lord. Vengeance will have to wait it seemed. Reluctantly, he put the small   
flask containing the mysterious substance back in his utility belt.   
  
"Excuse me," Uranus interrupted, "But what makes you think we're   
going to let you get away?"  
  
"The question is:" the scientist responded quickly, "What makes   
*you* think you can prevent us from doing so?"  
  
"This does!" the blonde exclaimed. "WORLD SHAKING!!"  
  
"NYOI BO!! NOBASU!!" shouted Trunks, as he sent his weapon against   
the man who was floating in mid air.  
  
The two attacks went towards their respective targets. The two   
enemies though, only stood(flew) there without moving a muscle. Seconds   
before they got hit...  
  
"Victory..." Eron began.  
  
"... to our cause." Arlakk concluded.   
  
With a flash of light, both individuals disapeared in thin air,   
causing Trunks' Bo to hit nothing more than empty space and Uranus' World   
Shaking to crush against a tree which was behind Eron.  
  
Trunks cursed silently. He was hoping to capture the enemy in this   
fight in order to make him talk for all he knew. Now he had only worsen   
things by making the enemy aware that more warriors were whiling to oppose   
their plans.  
Either way, there was nothing more to do now but leave. Maybe he   
should try to find Sailor Pluto and talk more deeply about this matter.   
  
"Hey, hold on!" said Sailor Venus. "Who are you?"  
  
He smiled under his mask. This was the exact same thing that   
happened eight years ago when he first fought in his 'Super Saiya-man'   
outfit. Only now, unlike last time, he had a name to use when fighting in   
this form.   
  
"I'm nothing more than a simple warrior who fights for the future   
of this planet." he told her, he then turned towards the sky, "Kintoen!!"  
  
Out of the clouds, a yellow form came flying towards the group. At   
first everyone took a defensive stance in case it was a new enemy, but   
Trunks gestured them not to worry. As the form came closer, it also slowed   
down. It was... a cloud?  
  
The Ninja boarded it as if was the most natural thing to do. Most to   
the surprise of the Senshi, he actually stood on top of it as if it were   
made of a solid substance.  
  
"My name is Son Goku." he concluded, as the cloud began to move   
upwards.  
  
"Son Goku?" Mercury inquired. "*The* Son Goku? The Monkey God?(**)"  
  
"Er... yes..." he answered, although he really didn't knew what the   
girl was talking about. [Monkey God??]  
  
In a blink of any eye, the cloud and its 'Monkey God' rider blasted   
off into the sky, leaving the park to the Sailor dressed ones.  
  
  
End of chapter 6.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Author's notes:  
(*) The Anime Minako was referring to was "Vampire Hunter D". Like stated   
in this chapter, Arlakk dresses similar to D with the only difference that   
Arlakk is dressed in black while D has an all blue outfit.   
  
(**) According to Japanese mythology, Son Goku is the name of the could   
riding Monkey God who uses a magical Bo staff which can grow several times   
its normal size. Coincidence? I really doubt it. I'll try to do a little   
more research on that particular deity in order to spice more the content of   
this fanfic. Any information on Son Goku (the God, not the character from DB)   
will be more than appreciated.   
  
Well, it's December 1999, so this would make this the last chapter of the   
year and Millennium. I personally don't think that this chapter came out   
very well, but since everyone was pressuring me in writing something before   
the end of the year, there! If you didn't liked it, too bad =P  
  
  
  
  
See you in chapter 7...  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. Chapter 7

Dragon Ball Z/ Sailor Moon/ Ranma ½ fanfic.  
  
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."  
  
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AND NOW ON WITH....  
  
  
Chapter 7: Wild search  
  
  
  
"Monkey God? Yeah, I guess I did hear that somewhere." Ranma stated.   
"Isn't that some sort of legend or something?"  
  
"It is a legend." Rei confirmed. "A Chinese legend to be precise."  
  
Who would have imagined seeing Rei Hino, Ranma Saotome and Trunks   
Briefs sitting in a room talking about such an unusual topic. To be frank,   
it all happened rather unexpectedly. Rei and Trunks had agreed to meet in   
order to discuss the last fight the Sailor Senshi and 'Son Goku' held.   
However, the one who first knocked at Trunks' door wasn't Rei, but Ranma   
instead, who dropped by for a surprise visit. After all, Nerima wasn't too   
far away from Juuban, especially when you came flying.  
  
The Saiyajin hybrid welcomed the martial artist into his apartment.   
Since he was one of the few persons who knew about him, he decided that in   
the end it wouldn't be so bad if he came to talk with Rei and him. Actually,   
it was quite inevitable considering that the two would eventually meet in   
such circumstances, so might as well start getting used to it now.   
  
Rei felt somewhat awkward at first by the unexpected visitor, but   
then again, she knew that Trunks had talked to Ranma about his situation and   
got him to cooperate. Not to mention that the martial artist had been   
informed about her relationship with Trunks as well, so all of this was just   
bound to happen one day or another.   
Still, this didn't make things easier for her, considering that now   
she would have to be cautious when talking about the Sailor Senshi without   
making Ranma suspicious. Hiding information on Trunks to her friend was   
already very uncomfortable and she was hoping that she wouldn't have to lie   
while being in his friend's apartment.   
  
Not surprisingly, the conversation between the three didn't start so   
smooth. It was only after Trunks touched the topic of yesterday's fight that   
the tension in the room began to disappear.   
  
"I have to give it to you, Trunks," Rei continued, "You outdid   
yourself in getting such an original identity. How did you came up with the   
idea of using the name Son Goku, the Monkey God?"   
  
"I didn't." he said plainly. "I don't even known what this Monkey   
God business is all about."  
  
Both guests blinked in surprise at that comment.   
  
"Wait a minute." Ranma began, obviously intrigued, "You're trying to   
tell us that you took the name Son Goku, rode a flying cloud and fought with   
an extendible staff *without* knowing *anything* about the Monkey God?"  
  
"Yes, I am." Trunks responded. "As a matter of fact, the reason I   
went for that kind of getup was because, a) In order to take a completely   
different identity so that the Sailor Senshi wouldn't recognize me or   
associate me with Super Saiya-Man, I decided that using the Kintouen to fly   
instead of flying by myself would be less suspicious. And b) because using   
the Nyoi Bo instead of a sword would also be less suspicious."  
  
"Hold on a sec." Rei stated, being now her turn to sound intrigued,   
"*Where* did you get the Kintouen and the Nyoi Bo? Those things don't grow   
on trees for all I know."  
  
"Well, back in my world, there's a place called Karin's tower." he   
told his guests, "Actually, that's where I get my senzus. In any case, the   
Kintouen I brought comes from a bigger Kintouen which belongs to Karin-sama,   
the owner of the tower. He also lent me the Nyoi Bo. Both items once   
belonged to a person called Son Goku, he's the Saiyajin I once told you   
about on my last trip, remember? The one who was suffering from a heart   
disease. In any case, I took his name, because... well... he's really a   
great guy and an even better warrior, so I kinda feel honored by using his   
name."  
  
Both Rei and Ranma looked at their host with big round eyes. After   
a few seconds, this began to make Trunks a little uncomfortable.  
  
"Wh... what? Does it sound so corny?" he asked.  
  
"You mean to tell us..." Rei said, "that there was a guy in your   
world named Son Goku, who rode a flying cloud and used the Nyoi Bo?"   
  
"That's what I just said." Trunks confirmed, a little annoyed by   
repeating what was already been told more than once. "Excuse me, but could   
we get to the point here? Why did Mercury said something about Monkey God?   
It looks like I'm the only person here who doesn't know about that."  
  
"Like we said," Ranma answered. "The Monkey God is a Chinese legend.   
I heard something about it when I went to Jusenkyou and got my curse. What   
you just told us about your friend describes most aspects of the Monkey God   
known as Son Goku."  
  
"I thought you knew about the legend in order to come up with the   
costume you used." Rei added. "But I see you didn't. Wow... talk about   
coincidence... I wonder if there's a connection..."  
  
"Well, I don't know if there is," the Saiyajin hybrid declared, "but   
since you two know so much about this so-called Monkey God, how about   
sharing that information with me? Might as well know who am I suppose to be   
now. It could be helpful."  
  
"Well, I don't known that much really." Ranma pointed out. "I only   
heard the story once and I wasn't paying much attention."  
  
"I know the story." Rei stated. "My grampa used to read me stories   
about it when I was little, not to mention that I had to study it once. You   
know: priesthood obligations. I don't know every single detail though, but I   
can give you a general view of the legend."  
  
"I'm all ears."  
  
Enter movie scene   
  
[The scene opens and we see the Earth from an outer space view. Strangely, it   
looks more red than blue. Suddenly, several beams of light blaze through the   
emptiness of space and head right for the planet.]  
  
Rei's voice-over: In beginning of time, according to Chinese Legends, the   
Goddess of Life sent three thousand magical rocks to the Earth, which she used   
to cool down the planet from hellfire and brimstone.  
  
[Earth is seen gradually regaining its original blue color. Then the beams of   
light from before leave the planet and head back to outer space.]  
  
Rei's voice-over: When the job was done, the Goddess summoned the rocks back. But   
she missed five of them, which remained on Earth. Four of them eventually eroded,   
but the last one began to absorb the land's power, causing earthquakes and other   
natural catastrophes.  
  
[The remaining rock is seen glowing with a green color, growing each time more   
by the power it absorbed.]  
  
Rei's voice-over: When the rock reached its limit, it began to crack like an egg.   
From the inside emerged a giant ape.  
  
[The earlier mentioned ape, bigger than most mountains, began to growl and trashed   
everything that stood in his way.]  
  
Rei's voice-over: Eventually, the huge ape made it to the Tang Dynasty's domain   
and caused havoc. In order to defeat him, the palace asked a Warrior God name   
General Tin Fong to help them.  
  
[This time we see Tin Fong facing the giant monkey in a ferocious battle. After a   
hard fight, the general manages to cut the ape's tail with his sword. Something   
unexpected happens then...]  
  
Rei's voice-over: By cutting the monster's tail, it turned into a small monkey   
who ran off and sought refuge in the mountains where other monkeys lived. That's   
how the legend of the Monkey King began.  
  
Trunks' voice-over: Hold on a sec. I thought we were going to talk about the   
Monkey God, not the Monkey King.  
  
Rei's voice-over: I'm getting there, Trunks. This is part of the story.   
  
Trunks' voice-over: Okay.  
  
Rei's voice-over: Anyway, the reason Monkey became the leader of all monkeys   
was due to his exceptional intelligence and courage which placed him above   
average monkeys.  
  
[We see Monkey standing on top of a cliff doing Tarzan noises while beating   
his chest like a drum with his fists.]  
  
Monkey: Who's da master??  
  
Rei's voice-over: However, Monkey realized that one day he, as well as all   
of his race, would inevitably die. Therefore he went on a quest to learn   
immortality, like previous men such as Buddha. He ended up with a Taoist   
immortal who took him as an apprentice.  
  
[The scene opens on top of a different mountain. This time Monkey is   
standing in front of an old man.]  
  
Man: So, can you fly?   
  
Monkey: Er... fly?.. er... well umm... like this?  
  
[We see Monkey performing great leaps, going from one mountain to another.   
In the end, he reaches the Taoist with the last jump, looking proud of   
himself.]  
  
Man: That's jumping, not flying. Here, let me show you how it's done.  
  
[The immortal puts two fingers in his mouth and whistles. Soon after, a   
yellow cloud comes flying. The immortal jumps on it and begins the   
demonstration.]  
  
Monkey: Cool!  
  
Ranma's voice-over: So I assume that's how he learned to use the Kintouen.  
  
Rei's voice-over: Exactly. However, Monkey was thrown out after showing off   
his new skills to his friends.  
  
[We now see how the Immortal sends Monkey down the mountain with a swift   
kick in the butt.]  
  
Immortal: Rule number 1: No showing off. Out you go!  
  
Monkey: (falling) WHAAAAAaaaaaaa...  
  
Rei's voice-over: Anyway, I believe that when he returned home, he began to   
raise an army and train all of the other monkeys. His next step was to   
obtain a suitable weapon, so he went to the Undersea Kingdom of the Dragons   
to look for one.  
  
[A new scene opens, a typical Atlantis look-a-like place: palace, merfolks,   
underwater castles, etc... On one side, Monkey is going through a chest,   
pulling out several weapons but not approving anyone. Next to him, a dragon   
is looking rather annoyed.]  
  
Monkey: (throwing around weapons)Too small... too big... too... too... I   
don't even know *what* this is!... Let's see... no... no... no... too   
extravagant... too weird... too cute... Yikes! What is *this* doing here??  
  
Dragon: Hey, are you done yet? I have some other things to take care of.  
  
Monkey: Oh, then why don't you bring me a lemonade while you're at it? Easy   
on the sugar.  
  
Rei's voice-over: Now would be a good time to say that Monkey was a very   
rude guest and had a certain talent to irritate everyone.   
  
[The Dragon looks more irritated with each passing minute. Eventually Monkey   
gives up, but his eye catches something unusual at the bottom of the   
Undersea Palace.]  
  
Monkey: Hey, Dragy. What's that thing?  
  
Dragon: Don't call me that! Anyway, that over there is the Nyoi Bo. It's   
what holds the Undersea palace.  
  
Monkey: Bo? It looks awfully big for a Bo.  
  
Dragon: The Nyoi Bo is a magical Bo which can grow large enough to hold a   
palace or small enough to be a toothpick placed behind the ears.   
  
Monkey: (grinning) You don't say...  
  
Rei's voice-over: I don't remember if the Nyoi Bo was given to Monkey or if   
he stole it. But in any case, it ended up being his.  
  
Monkey: (holding his Bo high): All right!! Now I only need an armor.  
  
Rei's voice-over: This was easier said than done. Monkey went to the   
Heavenly Citadel in order to get the Armor of the Gods. I'm pretty sure he   
stole that one.  
  
[We now see Monkey inside a palace. The guards that were guarding the   
entrance to the treasure room have been knocked out and Monkey is pretty   
much helping himself as if the place was his.]  
  
Monkey: Oh, look! A poor abandoned armor. How cruel to leave it here   
completely unprotected. It is my duty to give it a good place to live. And   
what a coincidence, my chest seems to be completely unprotected. Looks like   
we can help each other.   
  
Voice: Not so fast!   
  
Monkey: Hun?  
  
Ranma's voice-over: (doing a girl's voice) Stealing is evil!! I, Sailor Moon,   
won't forgive this act! In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!!  
  
WHAM!  
  
Rei's voice-over: Don't interrupt me, Ranma!   
  
Ranma's voice-over: Ouch! Hey, it was just a joke!  
  
[At the entrance, a man wearing military garment blocks Monkey's only way of   
escape.]  
  
Man: That armor isn't yours to take. If you want it, you'll have to go   
through me first!  
  
Rei's voice-over: That man was the top boss of the Heavenly Citadel's   
defense core. His name was Ten Shin Han.  
  
Trunks' voice-over: Ten Shin Han?? Are you serious??  
  
Rei's voice-over: Well... yeah. Why do you ask?   
  
Trunks' voice-over: No, never mind. Please go on.  
  
Rei's voice-over. Well, okay. Anyway, Ten shin Han defeated Monkey and sent   
him inside the Pot of Hell's fire as a punishment.  
  
Monkey: (being kicked into the pot) Not agaiiiiinnnnnnnn...  
  
Rei's voice-over: However, once inside, I don't really known how, but Monkey   
got the Pill of Divinity, or something similar. The pill gave him enough   
power to brake the Pot of Hell's fire and escape.   
  
Monkey: (braking loose) Okay, now I'm pissed!!   
  
Rei's voice-over: The tables had turned. Now, Monkey was strong enough to   
challenge Ten Shin Han again and win. The Gods decided that being such a   
wild and chaotic person, Monkey was bound to cause trouble. As a way to   
prevent this, they invited him to "live" among themselves so they could keep   
an eye on him.   
  
Trunks' voice-over: Really? Well, looks like that ended up well. I guess   
that's how he became a God then.  
  
Rei's voice-over: Not quite. It didn't take long for the Gods to realize   
their error. Monkey ended up being quite a handful. Like I previously said,   
he had a natural talent to irritate everyone.   
  
[The scene opens and Monkey is standing firm in front of a peach tree, with   
his arms crossed in front of his chest.]  
  
Rei's voice-over: For instance, there was an occasion where Monkey had to   
guard a tree which grew the God's special peaches. Instead of guarding them,   
he ate most of them.   
  
Ranma's voice-over: So he ate a couple of peaches, big deal.  
  
Rei's voice-over: They didn't call them the Gods' special peaches for   
nothing, Ranma. Eating them gave him immortality, something not just anyone   
is suppose to have access to.  
  
Trunks' voice-over: That does sound a little more serious.  
  
Rei's voice-over: That wasn't all. The last straw was even worse.  
  
[Inside a big palace, Monkey is just walking along looking bored. Up ahead   
he sees a huge desk which is empty. Tired of doing nothing, Monkey takes a   
seat and puts his feet on top of the desk as he yawns. A huge book on top of   
the desk catches his attention quickly.]   
  
Monkey: (opening the book) Hello? What have we here?  
  
Rei's voice-over: That book just happened to have the names of all the   
persons whose souls should be judged once they would die. Fearing the death   
of his children and brethen, Monkey destroyed the pages where all of his   
people's name were written. This didn't please the owner of the book: Enma   
Daiou-sama.  
  
Trunks' voice-over: The Lord of the Heavens gates, the one who judges the   
souls of the people who pass on in order to see if they should go to Heaven   
or Hell.   
  
Rei's voice-over: (surprised) That's... right. Where did you learned that?  
  
Trunks' voice-over: I'll tell you later. Please go on.   
  
Rei's voice-over: Okay. Well, back to the story, the Gods had took all that   
they could from Monkey, so the almighty Buddha had to interfere. Everyone   
agreed that locking the trouble making chimp in the Mountain of the Five   
Elements for five hundred year was a suitable punishment.   
  
[We see two eyes popping out into the dark.]  
  
Monkey: Hello? Anyone? Hey! You said there was a party here!! Hey!! Is   
anyone listening to me?? Com'on, guys!! This isn't funny anymore!!... Hello??..   
  
Ranma's voice-over: And so the troublesome ape became one with earth again.   
(sarcastically) How sweet.  
  
Rei's voice-over: The story doesn't end there, Ranma. Several years later,   
an exiled Buddhist monk was sent to the Mountain of the Five Elements in   
order to release Monkey and make him go the 'right way'. At that day, the   
monk gave Monkey a new name: Sun Wu Kong. Which translated to Japanese   
became Son Goku.  
  
[A new scene opens. On top of the Mountain of Five Elements, the monk and   
the recently renamed Sun Wu Kong look at the horizon.]  
  
Monk: Take a good look, Sun Wu Kong. Take a good look at this world. Soon we   
will begin our journey around it, going where the Gods want us to go. Acting   
in their name. Living for them. From this point on we shall both put our   
souls in this holy mission. Can you feel it, Sun Wu Kong? Can you feel the   
adventures that await us?  
  
[The monk turns around to his companion, only to see him absentmindedly   
scratching his ears.]  
  
Sun Wu Kong: (to himself) Man... it's been YEARS since I last ate a banana.   
(realizes that the monk is looking at him) Oh, I'm sorry, were you saying   
something?  
  
Rei's voice-over: To make the long story short, the monk and Sun Wu Kong   
went to acquire the writings of Buddhism from India. Along their way, they   
met with other interesting personalities. A perverted pig called Pat Kuai   
and Sa Qing, a warrior who wanted to redeem himself. After performing   
several good deeds, they were all promoted as Gods. Therefore the Legend of   
Son Goku: The Monkey God.  
  
End of movie scene   
  
  
"Well..." Ranma began, "for not knowing all the details, you sure   
told us quite a story there, Rei."  
  
"Priestesses have to be knowledgeable in legends and lore." the girl   
stated. "Although I'm probably missing some things. Did that information   
helped you, Trunks?"  
  
"It certainly did." the Saiyajin hybrid declared. "But I do think   
that I'll need to learn more about it. The more I know, the better."  
  
"You're really taking this Son Goku thing seriously, aren't you?"   
Ranma pointed out.  
  
"It's not as if I have a choice." Trunks told him. "Now that the   
Senshi saw me in that costume, might as well play along. The more I act like   
this Monkey God, the less they'll be suspicious that I'm a fraud. And more   
importantly, less chances they'll have to discover who I really am."  
  
"I guess you're right." Ranma realized.   
  
Rei silently sighed. Trunks seemed convinced that remaining a   
mystery in the battle field was for the best. Even if it looked that way,   
she couldn't really feel comfortable with the whole concept. Especially   
since it meant lying to her friends. She had one of those feelings. Things   
probably weren't going to end well.   
  
"So, where can you find more about Son Goku?" Ranma asked.  
  
[Well... Guess I'm already a part of this.] Rei thought. "I... might   
know of a place."  
  
**********  
  
Ami Mizuno was known among her friends and school mates as a person   
who didn't get distracted easily. However, everyone gets distracted once in   
a while. The girl confirmed this when she realized that the bus she was in   
had already passed her house.   
  
Walking now towards her intended destination, the young genius began   
to ponder on the topic which caused her to lose her attention earlier: Son   
Goku. Once again... things just got more complicated. Even if this wasn't   
the first time something like this happened, it still wasn't something easy   
to get used to.   
Never the less, she could make some hypothesis on how things would   
unfold from this point on. For one side, Usagi was probably going to trust   
this new warrior, while Rei would certainly be suspicious of him. She   
wouldn't be surprised if Minako showed more interest in discovering whether   
this man was handsome underneath that hood. And she was expecting Mako-chan   
to say that he reminded her of a certain purple haired boyfriend she once   
had. What worried her the most though was Haruka and Michiru. The two Outer   
Senshi were known for being rough on newcomers and were most likely going to   
be *very* rude to Son Goku.  
  
[Hmmm... it still feels weird to call him that.] Ami thought. [I   
wonder if he really *is* Son Goku. He doesn't look like the one from the   
legends. You can hardly call him a monkey for that matter. But then again,   
you don't see a man flying on a cloud and using an extendible staff very   
often.]  
  
Ami went on with her brainstorming until her eyes suddenly caught a   
sight of someone she knew. Her serious look changed into a happy one in   
blink of an eye. It had been quite some time since she last saw him.  
  
"Ryouga!" she said out loud.  
  
A confused looking young man who stood among the crowd turned around   
to pinpoint the voice's origin. He spotted Ami in a matter of seconds and   
went to great her.   
  
"Ami, hi!" he said surprised. "What brings you here to Neri...   
wait... we're not in Nerima, are we?"  
  
Ami couldn't help to giggle at that comment. She didn't mean any   
insult towards Ryouga by doing so, but to her, it was simply adorable the   
way her friend realized he was lost.   
The bandanna boy didn't take long in joining in on the laughter   
while scratching the back of his head with his hand in a sign of   
embarrassment. In Ami's book, this made him look even more cute.   
  
"So I guess there's no need for me to ask what brings you to   
Juuban." she stated.   
  
"No, I guess not." he responded. "It's nice to see you again though.   
How have you been lately?"  
  
"I've been doing well, thanks." she said. "How about you? Did you   
go on a training journey?"  
  
"Yeah, pretty much. Are you coming from school?"  
  
"Yes, I am. I was heading home. Say... why don't you come with me?"   
she suggested a little nervous, "I mean... I could offer you a glass of   
water or something similar and you could tell me more about your trip."   
  
"Sure. Lead the way."   
  
Most people who knew Ami would've been surprised to hear such a   
direct proposition coming from her mouth. Especially if it was directed to   
a boy. However those how *really* knew her, such as her close friends, also   
knew that Ryouga was possibly one of the few members of the opposite sex to   
whom Ami could talk so freely (or as freely as her shy personality allowed   
her to).   
This didn't happen from one day to another though. At the beginning,   
Ami showed her default shy behavior when facing Ryouga, and truth be told,   
so did he for that matter. It was only after several months, as well as   
several unusual circumstances which brought them together, that their   
friendship had grown enough to attain the level of trust they had now.   
Surprisingly, they owed such favor to Kuno Tatewaki.  
  
After a few minutes of walking, the two of them made it to Ami's   
apartment.  
  
"Make yourself at home." she said, as she walked in. "Do you want a   
glass of water?"  
  
"Don't mind if I do." Ryouga responded as he put his heavy backpack   
near the door, "By the way, I have two things here I want to give you."  
  
"Really?"   
  
"First of all, here." he said as he took out a book and gave it to   
her.   
  
"The book I leant you the last time you were here." Ami realized.   
"Did you finish it?"  
  
"I did." he told her. "I kinda liked the main character. In a dark   
way, I was somehow able to relate to him. It's not a 'happy ending', but it   
made me think for a while."  
  
Ami took the book which title was 'The Stranger' from Albert Camus,   
winner of the Nobel prize of Literature in 1957. The story was of a man who,   
being indifferent to life itself, found a meaning of it moments before his   
death. Like most of Camus' books, the story revolves around the absurdity of   
society. It was a great book none the less and Ami was happy that she could   
find a good Japanese translation in order to read it. She had leant it to   
Ryouga about a month ago. It was something of a tradition that the two had   
ended up doing.   
  
Being the scholar that she is, Ami was concerned about Ryouga's   
education, especially since this last one spend so much time on the road.   
The main problem was that her friend could get lost while walking on a   
straight line, which unable him from attending any sort of education   
facility frequently.   
But she had an idea. If Ryouga couldn't go to school, make school go   
to Ryouga. And what better source of education than a book which can be   
carried anywhere you go?   
Ryouga wasn't very fond of the idea at first, since he considered   
that improving his martial arts in order to defeat Ranma was a higher   
priority than reading. But then again, the bandanna boy had a well known   
weakness with girls and the word 'no'. And Ami was far from being an   
exception.  
  
The girl's plan eventually gave results as Ryouga actually ended up   
enjoying his readings. So, each time they met, Ami would lent a book to her   
friend and discuss the one that he had already read. In a way, it also   
guaranteed that they would always keep in touch.  
  
"And I also have this for you." he added as he took out a small box.  
  
"Cookies." she stated as she opened her present. "Where did you get   
them?"   
  
"Well... I *think* I got them at Hokkaido, but I could be wrong."   
  
"That's very sweet of you, Ryouga." she told him. "Thank you very   
much."  
  
The bandanna boy just blushed as his friend smiled at him in   
gratitude. Even if she was probably the only girl he could talk to without   
sounding like a babbling idiot, she was a girl no less, and a pretty one at   
that too. Not to mention that her resemblance with Akane didn't made things   
easier for him either. Fortunately, he regain composure quickly.  
  
"So, were you heading to Nerima to challenge Ranma again?" Ami began.   
  
"Not yet." Ryouga declared. "I'm still working on this new technique.   
I'll challenge Ranma once I've mastered it completely."  
  
In spite of being a Sailor Senshi and facing super-natural enemies   
on a regular basis, Ami wasn't prone to violence herself. She had often   
tried to talk Ryouga out of his ongoing 'vengeance' against Ranma,   
suggesting a more peaceful alternative instead. Unfortunately, her friend   
was very determined, or obsessed, depending on which term you liked the most.   
Men were still a mystery to her, and she could somehow guess that   
understanding Quantum Physics was probably a lot easier than understanding   
the opposite sex.  
  
"Right now, I'd really like to see how Akane is doing." he continued.   
"I miss her."  
  
"I see..." Ami responded.  
  
Strange. For some reason, Ami's smile seemed to waver after saying   
that. Ryouga didn't gave it much thought though.  
  
"Oh, by the way, Ryouga," she said, conveniently changing the   
subject, "I was planning to go to the library in search of a book. Would you   
like to join me? Maybe we can get a book for you too, before you head back   
to Nerima."  
  
"Well... er... sure." he declared.  
  
"Okay, let's go."  
  
**********  
  
One of the most imposing buildings in Dominia was Arlakk's tower.   
Maybe it wasn't as tall and majestic as the Lord's tower, but it was still   
really hard to miss. Stones which were dark as night raised the   
necromancer's lair into the sky. Hideous looking gargoyles guarded its doors.   
Dead trees stood around the property, twisted in several unusual ways with   
branches that resembled claws.   
One would think that not a single soul would be found in such a   
place. This comment always amused Arlakk, since tormented souls were regular   
visitors in his domain. Whether he had summoned them himself or they had   
come by their own free will, attracted by the dark nature of the tower,   
hearing shrieks, howls and other unnatural sounds were not a strange things   
coming from his garden.   
  
From the inside, his lair wasn't very different. All was dark. Not   
only due to the sorcerer's choice of color for interior decoration, but also   
because a torch was rarely lighten as well. Arlakk didn't seemed to mind the   
lack of illumination though. As matter of fact, he felt quite comfortable.   
With no doubt, he was the only person who could feel at ease in such a place.   
  
The owner of the tower entered his laboratory. A place filled with   
scrolls, books, potions and other magical items which could only be   
identified by him. Some of those things were placed in book shelves or   
tables, but most were scattered among the floor in no apparent order.  
  
[One of these days, I'll have to clean this place.] he thought,   
even though he well knew that he wouldn't go beyond the point of just   
thinking it instead of doing it.  
  
Sitting on his throne, which was possibly the only piece of   
furniture that wasn't occupied by books or similar things, Arlakk took off   
his hat which he threw somewhere at random.   
  
"Master, you have returned." said a deep, yet distinguishable female,   
voice coming from the shadows (which isn't saying much since shadows were   
everywhere).  
  
"Yes, I have, Delif." the necromancer spoke.   
  
"Has our Lord reconsidered your offer in this mission?" the creature   
asked.   
  
"Unfortunately, no. The operation is still in the hands of my   
incompetent coworker." he briefed. "Our liege believes that it is wise to   
let Eron proceed with the investigation, especially since new defenders have   
shown up."  
  
"Sending Eron to do a job which was meant to be yours is an error."   
Delif stated. "I don't understand why the Lord isn't able to see that."  
  
"Do not speak of our Lord in such disrespect, Delif!" Arlakk growled.   
"His wisdom is way above ours. We can't even *dream* of questioning his   
genius. Whatever decision he takes is for the best."  
  
"I... I'm sorry. Please forgive my impertinence, Master."  
  
"humph! You have to learn how to control those emotions of yours,   
Delif." the necromancer declared. "It's something I overlooked the day I   
created you in order to make you a more ferocious warrior, but you have to   
learn how to behave *outside* the battlefield."  
  
"Yes, Master. I won't disappoint you anymore."  
  
"In any case, your words hold some truth." he continued. "There is   
no way Eron will be victorious in his mission."  
  
"You are so certain of it, Master?"  
  
"Quite certain." Arlakk went on, "His Elite Raider may have proven   
efficient against the Sailor Senshi, but it became nothing more than a rag   
doll when fighting against that new defender. This new character is way   
beyond Eron's possibilities."  
  
"Do you believe he is a magical being like myself?"  
  
"Quite the contrary, Delif." he explained. "There was no magical   
energy in him what so ever. Maybe that quarter staff of his was magical, but   
not him. And yet... a tremendous power came from him. A power not yet   
unleashed."  
  
"In any case, that shouldn't be a problem for you, Master." the dark   
figure said. "If the defender has a spirit, you can bring him down to his   
knees without big effort."  
  
"True." acknowledged the necromancer. "But I don't plan to get   
overconfident. We still don't known what other surprises the defenders have   
in store for us. In any event, it's up to Eron now. All we can do now is   
wait and see."  
  
**********  
  
"When you said that we were going to find some information on Son   
Goku, I thought we were going to some ancient shrine to see some wise old   
man or something similar." Ranma said, somewhat disappointed.  
  
"So what's wrong with a library?" Rei asked him. "There's a lot of   
history book here which can help us."  
  
"It just boring, that's all."  
  
"Stop complaining and hold this instead." Rei told him as she gave   
him another book to carry.  
  
Ranma did as told and the two went to join Trunks who was sitting on   
a nearby table while checking other books they had already found.   
  
"Found anything interesting?" Ranma asked as he also took the chance   
to yawn.  
  
"A picture of Sun Wu Kong." Trunks responded, as he showed him the   
image.  
  
Indeed it was a picture of the famous Monkey God. A monkey, no doubt   
about it. Even if he had the body of a human, his face proved that he wasn't.   
Dressed in red clothing with a silver armor protecting his chest, he stood   
on top of a cloud, apparently riding it like a surf board while holding his   
magical Bo staff in a fighting stance. Sun also seemed to wear a golden   
circlet on his head.  
  
"Hmmm... doesn't look much like your costume, does it, Trunks?" Rei   
pointed out.  
  
"Not one bit." he confirmed. "But then again, it's no surprise. I   
knew nothing of Sun Wu Kong till today. It would've been one incredible   
coincidence if my costume would've matched this picture."  
  
"Well, what does your costume look like?" Ranma asked intrigued.   
  
"Let's just say that you're looking at the first Shinobi-like Son   
Goku.(*)" Rei told him.   
  
"Well what else was I suppose to wear?" Trunks said in defense. "I   
*had* to hide my face somehow so I wouldn't be recognized."  
  
"Well, you could start wearing a monkey mask from now on." Ranma   
suggested, although he really didn't sound serious about it.   
  
"It's kinda late for that now." he replied.  
  
"So, what else have you found?" Rei asked.   
  
"I especially wanted to know what special powers the Monkey God has."   
the Saiyajin hybrid answered. "According to this book, Sun Wu Kong can make   
copies of himself. To do so, he just plucks a pinch of his fur and blows it   
into the breeze. From each piece of fur he pulls, a clone will appear."   
  
"Anything else?" the pigtailed boy inquired.  
  
"Unless I'm mistaking," Rei cut in, "Sun Wu Kong also had the   
ability to see demons. Since he spent so much time in the Pot of Hell's   
fire, he gained the 'Hell's sight' which allowed him to identify demons   
and monsters who were in disguise."  
  
"I wonder what else was he able to do." Trunks said. "Maybe I can   
mimic some of his skills in order to convince the Senshi that I'm him."  
  
"Well here's another book." the Shinto priestess declared. "I'm sure   
we'll be able to find more of what you're looking for."  
  
Trunks and Rei began to go through the books while Ranma just stood   
there with his hands crossed behind his head and with a bored expression on   
his face. He really wasn't expecting that he'd end up in a library today. As   
a matter of fact, he was hoping he would get the chance to test his skills   
by sparing with Trunks instead. At least that sounded a lot more interesting.  
  
"Say, guys," he told his two friends, "I think I'll go outside to   
get something to drink. I'll be back in a minute."  
  
"Sure."  
  
The martial artist walked away, leaving the two to their research.   
The moment he made a left turn to head for the door, his bored   
expression was changed by one of extreme concern.   
  
"Ranma?" asked Ami. "What brings you here?"  
  
Oh... my... God.  
  
Exactly a couple of feet in front of him, Ami and Ryouga stood. What   
on Earth were they doing here?? Especially now!   
  
"Er... A... Ami... Ryouga..." Ranma babbled.  
  
This was NOT good. Not because of Ryouga, but mostly because of Ami.   
Ranma knew about Trunks' cover and judging from the direction these two were   
taking, they were bound to see Rei and, most importantly, the Saiyajin hybrid.   
Needless to say that Ranma had to stop their advance at all cost as well as   
warning Trunks about the danger... somehow.  
  
"Ami, Ryouga!!" Ranma said out loud, hoping that either Rei or   
Trunks would be able to hear him. "What a surprise finding you here, of all   
places!!"  
  
"Er... Yes." Ami declared, a little confused by such a loud welcome.   
"Ranma... I don't think you need to say that so loud. This is a library, you   
know?"  
  
"What are you doing here, Ranma?" asked Ryouga, less friendly. After   
all, seeing his rival in a library was quite unusual, and for Ryouga, no   
less suspicious.  
  
"I... er... nothing! Nothing at all!" he declared as began to laugh   
nervously. "What about you guys?"  
  
"We came here in search of a book about Chinese legends." Ami   
responded. "It's for a... er... school project."  
  
At this point, Ranma began to curse silently the existence of   
Murphy's Laws. The two were heading exactly where Trunks and Rei were at   
this instant.   
  
"But... er... you can't go there!" he said suddenly.  
  
"Why not?" asked Ami surprised by such an outburst.   
  
"Because... uhm... er... that section of the library is under   
repair." Ranma explained.  
  
"No it's not." the young genius declared with a chuckle. "Ranma,   
what are you talking about? If it were under repair, the library lady   
would've told us so."  
  
"Com'on, Ranma." Ryouga cut in, as he began to advance, "Stop making   
a fool of yourself. We're in a hurry."  
  
"No! Wait!" the pigtailed boy stated, as he cut their path again.  
  
"What now??" his rival asked, getting a little tired of this.  
  
"Ryouga, I challenge you!!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Now this was even more unusual. Ranma issuing a challenge to Ryouga   
instead of the other way around? However, the martial artist showed that he   
wasn't joking when he took a fighting stance.   
Under normal circumstances, Ryouga would've accepted without any   
doubt. But in a rare act of self consciousness, he remembered where, and   
more importantly, with *who* he was. The idea of beating Ranma was tempting,   
but he knew that it wouldn't please Ami to witness such a thing. Especially   
in one of her sacred places, such as the library.  
  
"Sorry, Ranma." the bandanna boy told him, as he took Ami's hand and   
began to walk towards their intended destination. "Maybe some other time."  
  
Ranma wasn't ready to give up though. He quickly stood in their way   
again, determined to start a fight.   
  
"What's wrong, Ryouga?" he teased. "Scared?"  
  
The lost one's patience was starting to run thin (which isn't saying   
much), but retained himself from falling in his rival's provocation. Next to   
him, Ami was showing some concern about the situation. Why would Ranma want   
to challenge Ryouga so suddenly? Although worried about the implications of   
having the two of them fighting in the library, she began to wonder mostly   
why was Ranma acting in such a strange way.   
  
"Ranma..." Ami began skeptically, "Is there a reason you don't want   
us to get near the History area?"  
  
He gulped. The girl was dangerously getting warmer. His only hope   
now was that Ryouga took the bait and accepted to fight in order to create   
a diversion. However, Ami's presence complicated things a bit. Ranma   
remembered by now how the girl had a certain influence on Ryouga's behavior.   
An influence that in other circumstances he would've welcomed gladly   
(especially during those inconvenient situations where Ryouga was after him   
for revenge), but that right now only made things more difficult.  
  
Ranma was about to try one more provocation, when suddenly Rei came   
running by his side. Looks like she heard the martial artist's warning after   
all and was coming to help him distract the two unwanted guests.  
  
"Rei? You're here too?" Ami inquired.   
  
In order to understand the following events of this story, now would   
be a good time to enter one of the strangest, most confusing and illogical   
places in the world: Ryouga's reasoning process.  
First we have exhibit "A": Ranma Saotome. Nerima's most notorious   
source of trouble and disaster. A guy known for his multiple fiancées   
problems which is matched only by the number of rivals who are out to get   
him. Then we have exhibit "B": Rei Hino. One of Ami's close friends. Shinto   
priestess and, although not in the same amount that Minako, a boy hungry   
girl. Then there's the crime scene: the library. A place that NO ONE would   
expect Ranma to be in. And let's not forget the strange behavior exhibit "A"   
had shown the moment Ami and him had arrived.   
It was all clear now. Ranma had tried to keep them both away from   
where Rei and him were. Why would he do this? Simple. Ranma and Rei were   
obviously having an "illegal relationship" and had most likely sneaked   
inside the library, a place no one would ever dream of looking for them, in   
order to perform some no less "illegal couple activities".   
  
The verdict: guilty.  
  
"RRRAAAAAAANNNNMMMMAAAAAA!!!" Ryouga growled. "How dare you cheat   
on Akane with one of her own friends!?!?!"  
  
"What??" Ranma managed to asked. It was also the only thing he   
managed to say before all Hell broke loose in the library.  
  
**********  
  
"Well, we're here." Haruka said, as she parked the car.  
  
"Okay, let's just hope we'll be able to find what we need." Michiru   
declared.  
  
"Did you had any luck with the Deep Aqua Mirror?" the blond asked.  
  
"I tried again, moments ago." she answered. "It's the same image   
than before."  
  
The Deep Aqua Mirror. One of the three Talismans the Death Busters   
had been looking for in the past. It's function was quite useful in the   
hands of its owner: Sailor Neptune. By staring into the mirror, one could   
see the truth behind certain persons or objects. The only problem was that   
those visions were usually hard to decipher.   
When Michiru consulted the mirror in order to learn more about the   
newcomer who called himself Son Goku, there was no exception to the rule.   
The artifact had taken some time in giving an image. When it did, it showed   
a huge Monkey, big enough to give King Kong an inferiority complex. The beast   
only growled in rage and made violent moves with its muscular arms, then   
the image disappeared.   
  
Surely this implied in some way that the new hero who fought   
yesterday was the legendary Monkey God, Son Goku. But Haruka thought   
differently. If he really was Son Goku, then why did he dress like a   
Shinobi? Naturally, this awoke some suspicion in both Outer Senshi.   
  
So, since they were short on clues, Michiru suggested that checking   
some books on Chinese legends would prove helpful.  
  
... You can guess where they went...  
  
"That's strange." Michiru began, "There seems to be an awful amount   
of noise coming from the library."  
  
Haruka didn't took long to notice it as well. As the two got nearer   
to the entrance, the growing sound of a fight could be heard. The duo   
immediately ran towards the entrance, henshin rods ready in case a Raider   
was the reason for all the commotion.   
  
As they opened the door, they crashed against a figure who was   
urgently making its way out of the building.  
  
"Akira-san?" Haruka asked, as she remembered the man from the park.   
  
"Haruka-san, Michiru-san, I'm sorry for that." he declared.  
  
"What's going on in there?" Michiru asked, more concerned by the   
fight than the little incident.  
  
"There are two people fighting in the library." he answered, even   
though it sounded very obvious by now.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Saotome, I'm putting an end to your womanizing schemes *right   
now*!!!" yelled a voice from inside the building.  
  
"Oh... them..." Haruka realized visibly upset as she recognized the   
voice. "Damn!! Why can't those two keep all their mayhem in Nerima!?!"  
  
"I assume you know the ones responsible for this." Trunks brought   
out.  
  
"Not that I feel happy about it." Haruka responded. "In any way, I   
guess we can forget about using the library today."  
  
Haruka cursed. Of all the people she wasn't really fond of, why did   
Ranma Saotome had to show up in the exact same place she had planned to go?   
What frustrated her even more was that the annoying martial artist was   
probably one of the few things which she couldn't handle... even as Sailor   
Uranus. Still... maybe she should interfere, for the sake of the public   
library.  
  
An entire bookseller suddenly came crashing out of a window.  
  
But then again, maybe she should let this one pass.  
  
"Well," Michiru began, "I believe there's nothing for us to do here.   
I suggest we leave. Akira-san, would you like to join us for a cup of coffee?   
It appears that your plans have been change in the last minute as well."  
  
"As a matter of fact, yes, they have." he responded. "It would be   
my pleasure to accompany you."  
  
The trio left the area while screams, shouts and sounds of walls   
braking still came out of the library. Trunks decided that from now on, if   
he was going to search for something, it would be through the internet.  
  
  
  
End of chapter 7.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Author's notes:  
  
(*) Shinobi means Ninja. If you didn't know, Ninjas were famous assassins   
during the EDO period of Japan. These masked killers were ruthless, cold   
blooded and had no sense of honor (unlike samurais). Therefore, it's not   
hard to understand why Haruka feels so distrustful towards Son Goku.  
  
Now, I would like to thank the following readers who were generous enough to   
send me some information on Sun Wu Kong. Even though their information   
sometimes contradicted each other, it would have been impossible to write   
the part where Rei tells the story of this deity without their help.   
Thanks a lot, folks!   
  
Here's the list:  
  
Yap Chin Weng.  
Average Joe.  
bren4bak.  
Carolina Herbstaedt (I tried to e-mail you in order to thank you, but the   
message always bounced back to me. So I'd like to thanks you here now).  
Juuhachi18.  
  
  
See you in chapter 8...  
  
  



	9. Chapter 8

Dragon Ball Z/ Sailor Moon/ Ranma ½ fanfic.  
  
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."  
  
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AND NOW ON WITH....  
  
  
Chapter 8: It's never easy.  
  
  
  
If there was something Trunks was grateful for, it was certainly   
Juuban's tall buildings. When being on top of one, not only you could enjoy   
the action on the streets from a general perspective, but you also remained   
hidden from everyone bellow. Right now, the Saiyajin hybrid, dressed in his   
'Son Goku' outfit, was enjoying such privileges as he witnessed a fight   
between the Sailor Senshi and a group of Raiders. Assault Raiders, like that   
man Eron used to call them.   
  
Judging from previous battles, his time to interfere would come soon.   
Since the fight in the park about two week ago, the enemy had shown more   
interest in studding the Outer Senshi and him instead of the Inner Senshi.   
A move to be expected from them, and a move Trunks played along with.   
Although he wasn't planning on giving his enemies any tips regarding his   
true powers. That's why he made sure of finishing every fight in which he   
entered as fast as possible. At least this would encourage the 'leaders' in   
showing up sooner and taking matters in their own hands.   
  
Something forced his attention away from the battlefield. Son Goku   
slowly moved his head to his right and looked above his shoulder in order   
to see the two new presences he felt. He sighed. This was going to be   
tedious.  
  
"I already know what you are going to tell me." he said. "I already   
know that I'm not welcomed here by you two."  
  
"Well, since you seem to know so much, then get lost, Shinobi!"   
Uranus spat. "We don't need outsiders in this fight!"  
  
Uranus and Neptune. A constant nag in all fights. Trunks didn't knew   
if they took some pleasure by being rude or if they were simply xenophobic   
by nature, but one thing remained clear, they didn't like him. Didn't even   
referred to him as Son Goku, but use the term 'Shinobi' instead, while doing   
a great job in giving it a very contemptuous significance.  
  
"This is my fight as well." Son Goku told them. "I believe I've   
already told you that more than once."  
  
"Well this is our territory," Neptune countered. "And I believe   
we've told you that more than once as well."  
  
This was getting nowhere. But then again, with those two, it never   
did. So, instead of getting involved in a senseless discussion, Trunks   
decided that it was time to interfere in the fight. With a jump, he left the   
building's roof, completely ignoring the two Senshi.  
  
Uranus ran to the edge of the roof and saw how the shrouded figure   
was now standing on top of his flying cloud, heading towards the Inner   
Senshi with his Bo staff ready for battle. Once again, the mysterious   
warrior had utterly ignored her. Her blood began to boil, but she decided   
that for now heading back down to the fight was a more urgent matter.  
  
**********  
  
Venus had just dispatched two more Assault Raiders when more began   
to appear through a portal. She didn't know how her friends were handling   
things, considering that everyone had split up the moment the fight began,   
but she was obviously too busy right now to figure it out.  
  
She certainly felt relieved when she saw a familiar figure flying   
towards them in a yellow cloud.  
  
"About time reinforcements showed up." she muttered.  
  
  
Exploiting the speed his flying cloud gave him, Son Goku took his   
Bo staff with both hands and swung it against a group of nearby Raiders,   
knocking the creatures a couple of yards away as well as probably killing   
them. He then jumped out of his transport, landing with a kick on top of   
another cat creature.  
  
As expected, the number of Raiders suddenly multiplied now that the   
main target had decided to join the fight. Monsters began to fall from the   
sky... literally, as new portals immediately opened above the defenders'   
heads, especially around Son Goku.  
  
"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!!"  
  
But more cat monsters kept coming. The Senshi began to wonder if   
some of them were hiding inside near trash cans before the battle started.   
  
With a few swings of his staff, Son Goku shook the creatures off him.   
Then he switched to the punching part of the fight, making sure that the   
Raiders wouldn't get up later. From the corner of his eye he managed to see   
that the Senshi were holding their own as well. But a particular one was   
about to get hit from behind without her being aware of it.   
  
Makoto suddenly saw how Son Goku began to charge towards *her*.   
Feeling how Haruka's warnings about him being a possible enemy came out to   
the surface, the girl quickly raised her arms in a defensive stance. What   
she didn't expected though was for the shrouded figure to jump and deliver   
a flying roundhouse kick two feet above her head. It all made sense seconds   
later when the Thunder Senshi heard the sound of something falling from   
behind. A Raider had sneaked behind her and certainly might have hit her if   
it wasn't for the Monkey God.  
  
"Thanks." she said to the man in front of her.  
  
Trunks didn't answer. For the passing second, he felt mesmerized by   
the girl's green eyes. Fortunately, the conscious part of his brain reminded   
him of the fight they were still having and how his job wasn't over yet.   
  
"Thank me once the fight is over." he responded, heading towards   
another group of Raiders.   
  
The fight went on. With heroes and villains giving their best effort.   
Still, it wasn't a big surprise to see the good guys arise victorious in   
this occasion. The noisy streets of Juuban fell in a deep silence once the   
last Raider hit the ground. Nothing was heard except for the panting from   
the heroes.   
  
"Son Goku?" Moon asked, "Where did he go?"  
  
"Gone, just the same way he showed up." Uranus answered, her voice   
filled with hostility. "Next time, he won't get away."  
  
"Uranus, don't you think you're overreacting?" Mars told her. "So   
far the only thing he's done is helping us."  
  
"Never trust a Shinobi." the Outer Senshi countered.   
  
**********  
  
All this... chaos. Things shouldn't be happening this way. As the   
Guardian of Time she knew the future of the planet should be unfolding   
differently. This new challenge was everything she didn't expect. Everything   
that shouldn't be.   
  
It had to be solved.   
  
But how?   
  
Most people would worry from hearing this from her, since, after all,   
it was Pluto who knew all the answers, or most of them at least. Right now,   
the Time Senshi wished she had a least a clue about the enemy. This was   
certainly a new experience: not knowing what's happening. And it wasn't a   
pleasant one.  
  
The Gates of Time. Her sanctum in some way, and a place she hadn't   
been unable to enter ever since the whole mess began. An unknown force had   
opposed her entrance, but she could feel it weakening now. She would enter   
this time and she was going to find some answers about the enemy as well.   
  
Concentrating on her time staff, the Senshi began to synchronize   
with the Gate, aiding it to fight the purple aura which had it locked. She   
could feel some progress. The seal was giving in.   
  
"What's this?" echoed a voice. "A fly has just entered my web?"   
  
The words broke Setsuna's concentration. What was this voice which   
sent chills down her spine?   
  
"I suspected that this door wasn't here by coincidence." the voice   
went on, "And as I imagined, it has a guardian as well. Glad to finally meet   
you, my dear lady."  
  
"Who is this?" Pluto shouted.   
  
"The one who sealed your door, obviously." he said. "And you, my dear,   
have just walked into my trap."  
  
Everything went dark for Setsuna. She didn't even knew what hit her.   
When she woke up, something was different. Everything around her was made of   
a purple crystal structure. To her horror she realized that it wasn't a   
crystal wall which had been set up around her, but instead, she had been   
locked inside a crystal.   
  
She pressed her hands against the surface of her prison trying to   
budge it but was unsuccessful. Then she hit it with her staff and used her   
Dead Scream getting the same results.   
  
Everything looked gigantic outside. The Gates of Time, which were   
already quite big, seemed infinite now, for she couldn't see where did they   
end no matter where she turned her head. Setsuna assumed that she had been   
shrunken and that this was how an ant saw things.   
  
"Please make yourself confortable." echoed the voice. "Because you   
will be locked there for a while."  
  
"What do you plan to do with me?" Pluto asked.   
  
"For now, nothing." he responded, "But I will have your Essence   
Sphere eventually. As a matter of fact you're quite lucky since I can't take   
it away from you from where I am. But rest assured that it *will* be mine.   
For now, please excuse me if I take more interest in the other Sailor Senshi.   
After all, I don't think you'll be going anywhere."  
  
"Wait! Who are you??"  
  
She didn't get an answer.   
  
**********  
  
Walking along the streets of Juuban was Makoto Kino. Like always,   
once a month, she was heading to Nerima in order to visit her friend Ukyou.   
On her right hand she carried a bento box, containing some sweet delicacies   
her 'big sister' would certainly enjoy. In spite of feeling joyful for her   
visit, she couldn't help for her mind to drift somewhere else.  
  
[Those eyes...] she thought, recalling the events from last fight.   
[His eyes remind me so much of...]  
  
She shook that thought out of her head... again. What was wrong with   
her? Having reawakening memories of her past love wasn't all that weird,   
especially since *he* had become a point of comparison whenever she saw a   
cute guy. But it never happened with such intensity before. Why did this man,   
who called himself Son Goku, cause such a reaction on her? They just looked   
at each other, nothing more.   
  
[It's probably the eyes.] she concluded. [Baby blue eyes.]  
  
That seemed like the most logical explanation. After all, Makoto   
recalled that she had quite a weakness with men with blue eyes... and purple   
hair. She even remembered the time when keeping eye contact with Ranma had   
been very hard, since he fulfilled at least one of those two attributes.   
But still... in this case it wasn't just the eye color. There was   
something else in that man's look. Even if it was for only a fraction of   
seconds that they stared at each other, she could feel it. After all, didn't   
they say that the eyes are the window to the soul? The mysterious hero had   
a very powerful, rough looking demeanor, but as she saw into his eyes she   
could grasp the tenderness behind that hard exterior.   
She shook her head again.  
  
[I really am hopeless...] she lectured. [We don't even know anything   
about him and I'm already looking at him like... that.]  
  
"Excuse me, can you tell me the way to the Tendo Dojo?" said a voice   
not far away from the daydreaming girl.  
  
Makoto didn't had to think long in order to identify the voice.   
Actually, that particular phrase was more than a label. And yes, a couple of   
yards in front of her, she saw the back of a familiar bandanna boy asking   
someone for directions.  
  
"Hey, Ryouga!" she said out loud. This one turned around as he heard   
his name being spoken.  
  
"Mako-chan?" he inquired suddenly surprised, then a bit disappointed.   
"Please... tell me that this is Nerima and you're here to visit Ukyou..."  
  
"Sorry." she told him sympathetically, "This is Juuban."  
  
Ryouga lowered his head in sign of defeat. He somewhat suspected   
that he was in Juuban, but there was always the chance that he could be   
wrong. Apparently today wasn't the case. He was pretty much 'not in Nerima'.  
  
"But if it makes you feel better, I'm heading towards Nerima to   
visit Ukyou." the girl added, sending a ray of hope in lost one's eyes.   
"Would you like to tag along?"  
  
"Yes, please!" he stated, making his words sound more like a plead   
than anything else.  
  
"Okay, then. Let's go." she declared, leading the way. "I wouldn't   
mind a little company on my way there. Besides, I haven't seen you in a   
while, so you'll probably have a few things to tell me."  
  
"Well, I was here about two week ago." he responded, as he followed   
her.  
  
"Oh, yeah! Now I remember." she realized. "All that mess in the   
library. Ami told us about it."  
  
"Er... yes... well... I guess I'm partially responsible for that."   
he accepted no less embarrassed for being reminded of that little incident,   
"But it was all Ranma's fault!"  
  
"Uh huh..." Makoto said, after all, hearing Ryouga blaming things   
on Ranma wasn't new. "Don't you think that maybe you got the whole thing   
wrong, Ryouga? [Like most of the time.]"  
  
"What other explanation is there then?" he asked. "Why else would he   
be trying to keep Ami and I away from where Rei and him were? Has Rei told   
you why?"  
  
"Well... er... no. She hasn't actually. She's been avoiding the   
topic constantly." she admitted. "But still, I don't believe that Rei would   
do such a thing, especially when knowing how chaotic Ranma's life already is.   
She wouldn't want to risk ending up with some of his problems. Plus, she's   
not the kind of girl who steals someone else's fiancé."  
  
"Maybe, but I wouldn't be surprised if Ranma had something to do   
with all that." he went on, "I plan to find it out."  
  
"Whatever you say, Ryouga." Makoto acknowledged, deciding to end the   
discussion as it was.  
  
"Oh... and... er... by the way," Ryouga began, a little   
uncomfortable, "Is... uhm... Ami still upset about the whole library thing?"  
  
"I figured you might asked that." his friend declared. "Don't worry   
though. Ami isn't the kind of girl who gets all frantic easily. I don't   
think she was mad at you in the first place. But I think you *should* go and   
apologize to her for your behavior."  
  
"I know. I fully intend to go and see her to talk about that... as   
soon as I figure out what to say." the martial artist said. "Maybe I should   
get her something as a way to say that I feel sorry for what happened."  
  
Now *there* was an initiative that took Makoto by surprise. Shy   
little ol' Ryouga wanting to buy Ami a present? If she hadn't heard it with   
her own ears she wouldn't have believed it. Sure, he bought her souvenirs   
from each trip, but the gesture of buying her a present as a way to   
apologize had a very different connotation, especially through the eyes of   
a hopelessly romantic girl such as our present Senshi. And that was a   
gesture worth exploiting in order to increase the possibilities of a love   
relationship between the lost one and one of her closest friends. A possible   
relationship that Makoto had tried to accelerate for quite some time now,   
but without getting good results.  
  
"Actually, that would be a great idea, Ryouga." she told him, with   
a sudden spark of interest. "You should try something nice that would mean   
a lot to her. Something that proves how you feel for her and says 'I'm sorry   
for what I did, please forgive me' at the same time. Something that says   
more than mere words. A ring for instance."  
  
"Er... I don't know, Mako-chan." Ryouga said unsure, "I mean... a   
ring is nice and all, but she might get the wrong message. She might think   
that I'm proposing to her or something. I mean, she's my friend, not my   
girlfriend. I was thinking more in the lines of a good book."  
  
"Well... yeah... that would be nice..." Makoto said, as her   
expectations came crashing to the flour in mere seconds.  
  
"The problem is finding a book." the bandanna boy continued. "Not   
only it has to be one she'll like, but I must make sure that she hasn't read   
either."  
  
"Can't help you there, I'm afraid." the girl shrugged. "Keeping   
track of all the books Ami has read is far from being an easy task."  
  
"Yeah, I guess." her companion chuckled.   
  
"By the way, Ryouga, changing subjects, did you learn some new   
techniques lately?"   
  
And so a new discussion topic begun.  
  
Makoto, being a martial artist herself, although below the standards   
found in a place such as Nerima, was highly interested in combat. Maybe she   
didn't approve the eternal argument between Ranma and Ryouga, but she had   
to admit that their fights were very spectacular and worth watching.   
  
She even recalled the time she asked Ranma to be her sensei about   
two years ago. A request the pigtailed boy had accepted in good nature but   
that ended up in a real fiasco. To the regular Ranma-fiancée community   
(except for Ukyou), the idea of a new girl coming to Nerima, spending time   
with their designated future husband, wasn't well seen. Especially since   
Makoto always brought a homemade meal for her instructor. Little did Shampoo   
and Kodachi knew that such dishes were just the way the girl had agreed to   
pay for her classes.  
Even from Akane she felt a certain hostility. The Tendou girl was   
aware that their relationship didn't go beyond student-sensei, but the   
gesture of seeing someone bringing some of her best recipes to Ranma annoyed   
her, mainly because Akane's cooking wasn't nearly as good as Makoto's (which   
is an understatement). As an accidental result, this caused a direct blow to   
the youngest Tendou sister's wounded pride.  
  
In the end, it all blew up in a big traditional Nerimian fight.   
Makoto had accidentally tripped during her practice and fell on top   
of Ranma, knocking them both down on the floor in a compromising position.   
What happened next was just a number of martial artists appearing at the   
worst possible time and assuming the worst possible things. The situation   
got so out of hand that even the Sailor Senshi had to interfere, although   
in the end it only made things more troublesome. Especially when Happosai   
decided to drop by.  
  
After all that mess, Makoto had reached the conclusion that, even   
though Ranma's training would certainly boost her martial arts skills, it   
was definitively not worth risking one's life. All of the other Senshis had   
agreed with her, especially Haruka who apparently got the worst part of the   
fight. Till this day, Makoto still didn't knew what exactly had happen to   
the blond Outer Senshi in order to make her twitch each time she heard the   
name Ranma Saotome.   
  
But still, regardless of all those past difficulties, if there was   
going to be a fight between Ryouga and Ranma, Makoto would certainly be in   
the front row to see it all.  
  
**********  
  
Trunks stopped his motorcycle as the traffic light turned red. He   
made a mental note to thank Haruka for giving him the tip on that motorcycle   
rental address. He even got a good price for the helmet he wore. Maybe   
motorcycles weren't as fast as flying, but it certainly was less flashy, not   
to mention a lot better than using the bus or walking.   
  
The most unexpected thing drove the Saiyanjin hybrid's attention   
away from his newly purchased vehicle. Exactly in front of him, a couple   
crossed to the other side of the street. Makoto Kino and a guy wearing a   
tiger striped bandanna.   
All of the world around him suddenly seemed to disappear as his eyes   
could now only focus on the smiling girl pulling joyfully the guy's arm   
while this last one blushed.   
  
"C'mon, Ryouga, this way!" she beamed. "We might make it before the   
next train leaves."  
  
"Er... o... okay." the guy responded nervously.   
  
If it wasn't for his helmet, the girl who just passed certainly   
would have identified him, but Trunks didn't took that into consideration   
right now. His eyes followed the two of them until both merged between the   
crowd.   
  
This pain... why was he feeling this pain in his chest?  
  
[That's the guy from the library.] he realized. [Are... are the two   
of them...]  
  
The honking horns from the drivers behind forced him to switch back   
to reality. The traffic light was now green. How ironic, since Trunks was   
sure to look rather green under his helmet right now.  
  
**********  
  
"It's been exactly one Outside month since this operation begun."   
the Lord said, as his voice echoed throughout the room. "Although it is well   
known that my patience is great, I can't help to notice your lack of   
results, Eron."  
  
The three servants remained in a bowing position in front of their   
master. Eron, who stood slightly ahead of his two coworkers, gulped. It was   
all true, and the last fight only served to confirm it even more. The new   
defenders' strength remained a mystery, especially Son Goku's. It didn't   
matter how many Raiders the scientist could produce, all were killed too   
fast to be of any use in his investigation.  
  
"Yes, My Lord." he spoke. "I confess that my research has been   
hampered ever since those new defenders showed up. However, I've decided to   
increase the 'quality' of our attacks in order to change that."  
  
"With all due respect to my colleague." Arlakk began, "Previous   
battles have only confirmed the obvious: The Raiders show no challenge at   
all for our opponents. I'm afraid that Eron's genetic knowledge isn't useful   
in this occasion. My magic though, might be helpful."  
  
"Don't get cocky, sorcerer." Eron cut in, "My Raiders aren't my only   
way to face the defenders. I am far from being left without any options as   
to leave this mission to the likes of you."  
  
"For the past two weeks this room has seen nothing more than failure   
from you." the necromancer countered. "You haven't been able to discover the   
extent of Son Goku's power but you still use Raiders pointlessly. This is   
quite an inefficient approach on the matter and I'm sure that Sorine will   
agree with me in this point."  
  
Typical of Arlakk to use someone else for his own benefit. Sorine,   
being the pragmatical one, was bound to side with him, endangering the   
scientists position in front of the Lord. If he didn't want to be replaced   
in this mission, Eron would have to think fast.  
  
"That is correct." Sorine declared. "The costs for this mission are   
superior that the benefits obtained by Eron's investigation. Unless a new   
strategy is employed, our victory will be delayed even more."  
  
"And that's why I've decided to face the defenders myself in the   
next battle." Eron interrupted, earning a stare from everyone in the chamber.   
  
"You wish to fight so soon?" his superior inquired.  
  
"Yes, My Lord." this one confirmed, "After all, Arlakk seems to be   
right in this rare occasion. The Raiders won't be helpful anymore, and what   
better way to see with my own eyes the extent of Son Goku's power than by   
fighting him myself."  
  
"Hmmm... yes... I believe it is time for the defenders to face one   
of the three 'Master of Tomorrow'." he considered. "Very well then, Eron,   
you have my authorization to go Outside. Be sure to do a good job."  
  
"Yes My Lord, I won't fail you."  
  
"And since we're already moving ahead of schedule," he added. "Be   
sure to bring me an Essence Sphere this time. I'm curious to taste this   
universe's flavor."  
  
"It will be done, your greatness." Eron answered with a grin. "A   
random one I assume."  
  
"Yes, I prefer to save the main dish for last."  
  
**********  
  
"... And you wouldn't believe the load of homework she gave us too."   
Rei continued. "I swear that Akemi-sensei must have something against the   
class for giving us all these assignments. I really appreciate that you're   
willing to help me with math, Trunks. I don't even know where to start...   
Trunks?"   
  
"Huh? Oh, sorry. I guess I was thinking about something else." her   
host said. "Which part are you having problems with?"  
  
"Well almost every part to be honest." she responded. "Say, Trunks,   
are you all right? You look kinda blue today. Did I come at a bad time?"  
  
"No, it's nothing." he reassured her with a faint smile, "I just had   
a rough day at work. Don't worry about me. Now let's get back to math. I   
promised that I would help you with your homework."  
  
Instead of pointing at an exercise to clear some of her doubts, Rei   
closed her text book and crossed her arms in front of her bosom, elbows   
pressing against the table. Trunks realized that the girl was looking   
directly at him.   
  
"Spill it out, Trunks." she said bluntly.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Don't 'huh' me. Tell me what's troubling you." she ordered. "And   
you better come up with a better excuse than a hard day at the office."  
  
The Fire Senshi looked very determined. And Trunks knew from   
personal experience with his mother not to play around with a woman who had   
that particular conviction blazing through her eyes. Unfortunately he didn't   
feel comfortable with the subject his guest wanted to talk about either.   
This situation required some subtlety.  
  
"Do you remember the time we went to the public library with Ranma?"   
he began, "The day I almost got caught by Ami?"  
  
"I wish I *had* forgotten about it." the girl responded with a   
grouch. "That little scene just added more lines to my still growing list of   
'things-to-blame-on-Rei'. Now the girls are suspecting that I'm dating Ranma   
behind Akane's back. Why do you ask?"  
  
"The guy who was with Ami," he explained, "Ryouga, I believe that's   
how Ranma called him, what's the deal with him?"  
  
"Ryouga?" Rei asked surprised. "Well... not much really. He's one of   
Ranma's friends... sort of. Actually, he's his rival too. I think their   
bickering goes way back."  
  
"No, I didn't mean that," Trunks corrected. "I meant to know what's   
his business with you girls."  
  
"Us?" she asked even more surprised. "Well, he doesn't know about   
our secret identity, if that's what you mean."  
  
That was hardly what he meant.  
  
"No, I'm not talking about his relationship with the Sailor Senshi."   
he corrected again, "I was referring to his relationship with you as normal   
girls."  
  
Rei was obviously suspicious about the direction this conversation   
was taking. Why did they start talking about Ryouga in the first place? What   
was the connection between the lost boy and Trunks' gloomy mood?  
  
"Okay, I'm lost here, Trunks. So it's my turn to ask some questions."   
she declared. "Why are you so interested in our relationship with Ryouga?"  
  
"Well... I... I was just curious, that's all." he lied, "After all   
it's been three years here and I was wondering if *maybe* Ryouga was Ami's   
boyfriend or something. Or one of you girls' boyfriend for that matter, but   
hey, who am I to guess? I mean... I could be completely wrong about this."   
  
Rei narrowed her eyes, approaching her face closer to Trunks, her   
expression changing from skeptical to examiner, although to the Saiyajin   
hybrid it looked more like the face policemen do in movies when   
interrogating someone. This of course made him nervous. After short seconds   
of just staring at him, she pulled back and closed her eyes solemnly.  
  
"I see..." she said.  
  
"You see what?"   
  
"You think that Ryouga is Mako-chan's boyfriend."  
  
Talk about catching someone with his pants down! Trunks was   
completely speechless after hearing Rei's statement. The wide expression of   
his eyes had only served to confirm this even more.  
  
"I don't have to do a fire reading in order to see this." the girl   
went on, with a serious face. "I bet you accidentally saw them walking in   
the street together and got the wrong picture."  
  
"How... how... how did you known that!" he asked amazed.  
  
His friend just blinked in response. She then began to scratch the   
back of her head.   
  
"You mean I'm right?" she asked innocently, "Here I was shooting at   
the dark in order to get a reaction from you, I didn't expect I'd manage   
that with the first try."  
  
Trunks' back was now completely horizontal while his feet were   
pointing at the air. It happened fast and hard like all good 'facefaulting'   
displays.   
  
"You mean you were half guessing?!?" he declared, as he recovered.   
  
Rei's face didn't show any sign of joking though. There way genuine   
concern in her eyes as she looked at the Saiyajin hybrid. Concern with a   
mixture of pity. That was the look Trunks precisely wanted to avoid.   
  
"You still love her." she pointed out, her lips curving in a small   
and tender smile. "You still have feeling for her."  
  
"Don't be ridiculous." he said seriously, as he got up. "How can I   
love someone I haven't seen in eight years?"  
  
"Then why were you so affected by the idea that Mako-chan and   
Ryouga being together?" she reasoned. "Trunks, you can't deny that it didn't   
moved you in some way."  
  
Uncomfortable pauses usually come in moments such as these. This   
case was no exception.  
  
"I admit that I felt... *concerned* for her in some way." Trunks   
explained. "Curious to know if she was happy with that guy, maybe even a   
little worried. But I felt that *only* as a friend."  
  
[Liar...]  
  
"In the end, it doesn't make any difference anyway." he concluded.  
  
"What do you mean it doesn't make a difference?" she asked. "It   
makes a *huge* difference. Trunks, these feelings are eating you from the   
inside. It isn't healthy for you, it's like self-torture. Maybe... maybe   
it's not too late for you to face the other girls. I'm sure it'll be better   
for all of us if you did."  
  
"No." he said resolutely. "That can't happen. This isn't as easy as   
you think. There's a lot more in this than my feelings."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Rei questioned, getting exasperated.   
"Why do you have to act as if there was a higher purpose than your *own*   
feelings? Why do you willingly want to suffer so much?"   
  
"Because there's NO other choice!!" he growled.   
  
Second big pause. Trunks used the time to sit and calm down. Rei   
didn't take her eyes away from him.  
  
"Let's say I *do* face them as Trunks." he began. "Let's suppose   
that when I do, everything goes right and that Makoto and I regain what we   
once had. Let's even suppose that we beat Eron, Arlakk and whoever is above   
them and save this universe... then what?"  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"Then... I have to go back." he explained. "No matter how much I   
could possibly love Makoto again, I can't stay. I must return to my world."  
  
"But you don't *have* to!" she declared. "You can choose your own   
destiny."  
  
"Not in this case!" he told her as he violently got up. "Rei, do you   
know the responsibilities I have in my world? I have *fought* for that world.   
I have *bled* for that world. I even *died* for it once. And I can't even   
begin to tell you how many others died and weren't fortunate to come back to   
life like *I* did. I *can't* abandon that world. I'm as responsible for it   
as you are for this one. Everything I have is in *that* world!! Everything!!!   
It's not just another planet lost in the universe, it's all I have left!!"  
  
Trunks loudly fell back in his couch, head hanging low with his hair   
hiding his eyes, his left hand rubbing them.  
  
"I'm the last of the Z-senshi." he whispered. "If something or   
someone tries to harm my world, I *have* to be there to stop him. Because if   
I'm not there... who will?"  
  
Rei just couldn't find an answer to that.  
  
"So, as you can see, if I fall in love with her again, it would be   
only to abandon her one more time." he told her. "I promised the day I set   
foot in this world that I would do all that's in my power to keep Makoto   
from getting hurt. So, as tribute to our past feelings for each other, and   
as a friend, I can't let her see me... no matter how painful it is for me.   
I'd rather suffer her share along with mine instead of making her cry again.   
This... is the least I can do for her."  
  
The Shinto priestess sat down next to her friend, letting out a big   
sigh. He was right. It was definitively more complicated than she had   
thought. She wanted to help him badly, she wanted to fix all this mess, but   
she couldn't think of a way. The only thing Rei could do for now was helping   
Trunks go through all of this. At least that she *could* do.   
  
"I'm sorry..." she said, "I guess I touched a very delicate subject   
here. I didn't mean to."  
  
"It's all right." he reassured her. "I've been giving it a lot of   
thought as well, so it really isn't something that came unexpectedly. But   
still..."  
  
"It hurts." she added.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
Putting her hands around his shoulders seemed like the right thing   
to do right now. And probably the only thing to do as well. It hurt her as   
well. Not the same kind of pain Trunks had, for he was after all at the   
center of this mess, but it pained her to see him in such a 'no win'   
situation.   
  
"Rei?" he asked, surprised as he felt her arms holding him.  
  
"Don't worry." she whispered. "Something is bound to happen to make   
this easier. It has to."  
  
"How can you be so sure?"  
  
"Because," she explained. "You're too much of a nice guy to have   
this kind of punishment on your back."  
  
"Thanks... I... I don't know what to say."  
  
"Then don't say anything." she spoke as she held him closer.   
  
One would expect a more 'relaxed' scene from this point on, but   
contrary to common beliefs, things just got more tensed. Rei suddenly   
stretched as if a shock of lighting had gone up her spine. Trunks was not   
oblivious to such change in the girls attitude and he was none the less   
concerned.  
  
"Rei, what's wrong?"   
  
"Some... something terrible is happening." she said, as she   
gathered her arms around her body, feeling a chill.   
  
"What? Are you sure? I can't sense anything."   
  
The girl nodded in response. Whatever was going on, it had her   
distressed. Trunks didn't want to take this warning lightly and quickly went   
to his apartment's balcony, extending his senses the most he could. He   
didn't knew what exactly he was looking for, but there had to be *something*   
out there to cause such a reaction on Rei.  
He actually did feel something. It was quite vague and it would've   
been impossible to detect if he hadn't concentrated first. Several small kis   
were disappearing one by one. This could only mean one thing.   
  
"Rei! Quick! Contact the Sailor Senshi!" he ordered as he pressed   
the blue button in his wristwatch and switched to his   
alternative-crime-fighting gear. "People are being killed!!"  
  
**********  
  
The streets of Juuban were filled with terror. People ran from one   
way to the other like sheeps during a lighting storm. All of them fleeing   
from one man. One man alone.   
  
"No! Please! Don't!" begged a citizen who had fallen to the ground.  
  
"There, there." said Eron with his well known cynical tone, "No need   
to overdramatize. This won't hurt a bit... or so I've been told."  
  
The scientist's victim tried to crawl away, but before he managed to   
get up, Eron raised his fist. A ring placed in his middle finger began to   
glow. As a matter of fact, the dark stone which lodged the center of the   
ring was the thing shining.   
A blast, black like coal, came out of it with incredible speed. The   
poor fellow didn't even had the chance to scream before he got struck in the   
middle of the chest. Then, his body fell to the ground: lifeless.  
  
Right where the victim had been hit, a glowing object had appeared.   
It was an ellipsoid, big enough to hold in one hand. The surface seemed to   
be made of glass, but the inside looked more captivating. A white mist of   
some sort was moving, ramming itself against its crystal prison. It   
resembled ocean waves hitting a rocky surface.  
  
Eron picked up the object with one hand and began to examine it   
against the sun light, the same way a connoisseur does with a good cup of   
red wine.   
  
"Well, that makes five." he remarked. "I hope my Lord finds these   
Essence Spheres tasty."  
  
Eron didn't had the chance to look for another victim as he saw a   
familiar figure flying towards him at great speed.   
With a grin, he summoned an Elite Raider through a portal and gave   
him the Essence Sphere he recently acquired. Then he waited for his guest.  
  
"Timely as always, I see." he said to the shrouded figure.  
  
Trunks ignored that comment and head for the man lying on the ground,   
trying to see what was his condition. The answer came rather quick and   
turned out to be what Trunks feared. There were no ki signature coming from   
him.   
His eyes, burning with rage, turned to meet Eron's.  
  
"You killed him!!" he growled.  
  
The scientist, never losing his cool (or the chance to make a smart   
ass remark), just raised an eyebrow while scratching his chin with his index   
finger.   
  
"Well... it all depends on how you want to see it really." he answered.   
"The body is quite alive and functional right now. The owner though,   
isn't... available to take control of it, if you know what I mean."  
  
"All of this is nothing more than a joke for you, isn't it???" he   
shouted outraged.  
  
"On the contrary, I take my job very seriously." he retorted. "But   
I also take a great pleasure in doing it."  
  
It was then that the Saiyajin hybrid noticed the strange object Eron's   
Raider was holding. More importantly, the ki which should be coming from the   
victim now came from there. He didn't understand how that happened, but it   
obviously had Eron's signature all over it.  
  
"That thing..." he declared, pointing at the Essence Sphere.   
"I don't know *how* you did it, but I see that his entire self is locked in   
that crystal."  
  
"Well, well, well. I'm impressed that you noticed." Eron chuckled.   
"And here I thought that you were nothing more than a lean-mean-karate-machine."  
  
"Sorry if I disappointed you." Goku stated as he took out his Bo.   
"And sorry for cutting you little comedy show short, but I think I'll take   
that crystal."  
  
"Essence Sphere, my friend. The correct term is 'Essence Sphere'" he   
pointed out. "And if you think that you're going to get it without a fight,   
you have another thing coming."  
  
"Eron... let's be realistic," the defender told him. "There is no   
chance in *Hell* that your Raider can beat me. I know that, you know that   
and the entire world else knows that too."  
  
Finally: a reaction of displeasure from the scientist. Reminding him   
of how his creatures were useless apparently hit him right where his ego was   
more vulnerable.  
  
"True. But this time you'll be fighting me instead."  
  
"Really? Well then, bring it on."   
  
"The one who wins gets the Essence Sphere." the invader suggested,   
as he took out a small flask from his utility belt. "Sounds fair?"  
  
"Fair enough." he acknowledged as he got ready for battle.   
  
"Very well." the enemy declared, once he inserted the flask in a   
small opening of his electronic bracelet. "Let's play."  
  
The recipient's content disappeared and went right inside Eron's   
body. For a few seconds, the scientist's eyes rolled back into his sockets.   
  
[What is he doing? Getting high?] Trunks wondered.  
  
In some way, his assumptions were accurate, for the mysterious   
substance was responsible for Eron's reaction. But contrary to what he   
thought, it wasn't a drug. The scientist had used a DNA sample of a   
particular creature he encountered in the past. Thanks to Eron's ability to   
assimilate foreign DNA into his own, he could gain unexpected attributes and   
abilities no other man could dream of having.  
  
Then, the change occurred. His body began to grow out of normal   
proportions, muscles becoming three times their original size, but that was   
not all. Eron's skin suffered several changes as well. It began to turn gray.   
Then, most to the defender's surprise, rocks began to come out of every part   
of his being as well. His face wasn't the one of a handsome looking man   
anymore. It changed into something monstrous. Broad, thick, with fangs   
which seemed made out of stone as well. All of his hair had disappeared too,   
replaced now by a set of stone horns. Surprisingly, his clothes weren't   
shred nor damaged by such brutal transformation, but adapted to the new body   
as if made of an elastic material.  
  
"I've been waiting for this ever since we first met at the park."   
the monster declared, with a voice completely different from one he had   
moments earlier. Now it sounded more like some sort of demon.   
  
Trunks braced himself as the monster came charging towards him.   
  
  
  
End of chapter 8  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
See you in chapter 9...  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	10. Chapter 9

Dragon Ball Z/ Sailor Moon/ Ranma ½ fanfic.  
  
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."  
  
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AND NOW ON WITH....  
  
  
Chapter 9: The show is over.  
  
  
The earth shook with each running step he took. In spite of his   
massive stone body, the scientist, now a monster, moved very nimbly towards   
his opponent. With a loud growl, Eron sent a powerful punch towards Son Goku.   
The latter quickly put his Bo staff back in its sheath and caught the   
incoming attack with both hands, which were barely enough to hold the   
monster's entire fist, now that it had grown beyond normal proportions.  
  
Yet, even though he intercepted the punch, Trunks was pushed   
several feet back by the force of the blow. He still held the fist though,   
but didn't plan on staying still much longer.   
  
Instead of blocking the second punch, the shrouded figure jumped   
right above it, planting his hands on Eron's broad arm. Using his momentum,   
he spun his body in order to send his right foot against his enemy's face.   
The kick connected successfully and the scientist's face turned 45º to the   
opposite side he was hit.  
  
Much to Trunks' surprise, the monster immediately faced him again,   
apparently not affected by the attack. Eron took the chance and gave him a   
head butt. Fortunately for his adversary, he didn't use his horn for extra   
damage. Nevertheless, Son Goku was sent flying to the other side of the   
street.  
  
"Oh, dear. Did I forgot to mention it?" Eron said with his well   
known sarcasm. "What you see on my skin aren't ordinary rocks. Actually,   
they're giant shock absorbers. It doesn't matter how hard you hit me, it   
won't represent more than a mild sting for me. Quite a discovery, wouldn't   
you say? The original creature who possessed this gift was the Gerda. Cute   
little thing I found on one of my missions. Its DNA code sure proved   
adequate for most of my fighting needs."  
  
"You stole some creatures powers?" Son Goku asked, while rubbing   
his forehead as he got up. "Just like the sphere you stole from that man."  
  
"I did no such thing." he corrected, "I don't use people's Essence   
Spheres. I merely analyzed the Gerda's genetic code and reproduced it so I   
could use it for my DNA assimilation technique, quite simple if you think   
of it."  
  
"So your special skill is to use other people's skills through their   
genes?" Trunks asked, not very impressed.  
  
"I must admit that it's not as 'flamboyant' as dressing in blue   
pajamas and riding a yellow cloud like you do," Eron mocked, "But it's more   
than enough to help me achieve my goals. Besides, who says that's the only   
thing I can do?"  
  
"Then why do you steal those Essence Spheres if you don't use them?"   
he inquired again, "What's the point?"  
  
"Those aren't for me. They're a gift for my Lord." the scientist   
responded, "But that's all you'll learn from me, my friend. I didn't came   
here to talk."  
  
"I see... So I was right to assume there's someone above you." Son   
Goku declared as he began to walk towards his enemy. "Now you'll tell me   
everything I need to know."  
  
"I think you didn't hear me a second ago. I didn't came here to talk."  
  
"Then I'll make you talk."   
  
**********  
  
He usually wasn't the first one to show up during a battle, but in   
this occasion, Mamoru Chiba happened to be near the area Eron was attacking.   
Now, dressed in his fighting (but none less elegant) clothes, Tuxedo Kamen   
moved from rooftop to rooftop as he followed the noise of a battle.   
  
Once he reached his destination, he realized that he wasn't the   
first one to show up after all. Son Goku was already locked in a fight with   
what appeared to be some sort of huge living gargoyle with horns.  
  
In a blink of an eye, the Shinobi appeared in front of his opponent   
and delivered a brutal uppercut to the creature's stomach, then a left hook   
to its face. Finally he ended his attack with a roundhouse kick which sent   
the unfortunate enemy a few yards away. It all happened so fast that it   
seemed like one assault instead of three.  
  
The creature stood up after that and grinned.  
  
"Are you having fun?" Eron mocked, "You can hit me as hard as you   
want for all I care, but I can't promise you to feel any pain."  
  
"Really? Then look at your arm." the Shinobi told him as he crossed   
his arms in front of his chest.  
  
Out of curiosity, Eron did so and saw with horror that the rocks he   
had all over his right arm where shattered as if hit by a sledge hammer. As   
he moved his hand towards his left cheek, he realized that some fragments   
were falling from there as well.   
  
"This is impossible!!" the stated.  
  
"So, do you still want me to hit you as hard as I can?" Son Goku   
asked. "Now let's start with the questions: What are you and your friends   
after and why are you taking people's Essence Spheres?"  
  
"Well, I believe that the answer to both questions is 'none of your   
business'." the monster responded.   
  
Another blow came immediately after that reply and Eron was sent   
flying further away.  
  
"Wrong answer." the Shinobi told him. "Let's try again."  
  
This had change for the worst. Eron inspected his recently bashed   
area and saw that more of his rocks where now turned into debris. This...   
this couldn't be happening. He should be stronger than Son Goku, not the   
other way around. The scientist's pride forced him to keep on attacking,   
hoping to change the situation back in his favor, but the defender dodged   
all of his blows with the greatest of ease. Unaware to him, more of the   
defenders were starting to show up. Namely: the Inner Senshi.  
  
"Sanzoken!" Son Goku declared.  
  
What was once one was now five. Remembering the technique he saw in   
the Tenkachi Budokai files, Trunks moved faster than the normal eye could   
sense an created several images of himself. Each one apparently moving as   
an independent fighter while assaulting Eron with more blows.  
Once again, the monster could do little to defend himself and more   
of his stone protection fell in pieces.   
  
"What on Earth was that??" Eternal Sailor Moon asked amazed.   
  
"The legend of the Monkey God." Mars remarked, "I read somewhere   
that he had the ability to make clones of himself."  
  
She really didn't knew how he did it, but Trunks had successfully   
copied one of the Monkey God's powers. Rei had to give her friend credit for   
that.   
  
[This can't be happening!! Damn it!! This can't be happening!!] Eron   
thought. [I'm losing!! There's no way I can win in this condition! I have to   
think fast.]  
  
"Well, let's not just stand here and watch." Venus suggested, "Let's   
help him."  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, Trunks saw the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen   
approaching.   
  
"Flame Sniper!!"  
  
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!!"   
  
Both attack struck true on their designated target and Eron couldn't   
ignore the pain this time. He had no more stone defense to rely on and as   
much as he hated the idea, it would seem that the old 'turn tail and run'   
move was the only option left. Not that Son Goku, nor the Sailor Senshi,   
would probably allow him to flee, so he would need a distraction.   
Maybe his defensive edge was gone, but at least he still had his   
enhanced strength. Now he only had to use it right.  
  
The Senshi, Tuxedo Kamen and Son Goku were already running towards   
the scientist, ready to pursue the fight. Before they got any closer, Eron   
grabbed the nearest, biggest object he could throw at them. Which in this   
context refers to a moving van.   
No one expected the monster to use a heavy transportation as a   
weapon... that is... until he actually lifted it with both hands and hurled   
it against them. Everyone stopped dead on their tracks. The Senshi looked at   
the incoming vehicle like a deer caught in the headlights of a car, which in   
this case was a rather accurate comparison.  
  
The girls instinctively raised their arms and turned their face away.   
It was all over. Or at least that's what they thought, but the van never   
actually crushed them. As everyone raised their eyes, they saw Son Goku   
holding the vehicle above them with one hand, literally catching it before   
it could cause any damage.   
  
Scared, as well as very impressed, the Juuban defenders could feel   
how their lives had passed right in front of their eyes. Goku simply put the   
van down and immediately checked the place for any signs of Eron. Not   
surprisingly, the scientist had use that little distraction to escape. His   
presence couldn't be felt anymore.  
  
Trunks cursed his luck again. This wasn't the first time his   
opponent had ran away. He remembered something else, though. There was a   
more urgent matter than Eron right now.  
  
"The Essence Sphere!" he suddenly said, "Where is it? Where is the   
Elite Raider??"  
  
No one knew what he was talking about, but the sudden sound of a   
painful growl and a body falling to the floor caught everyone's attention.   
Right in a street's corner, the cat creature in charge of guarding the   
Essence Sphere was found dead, covered in its own blood. Next to it, Sailor   
Neptune and Uranus were now walking towards the group, with this last one   
putting her Space Sword back inside her scabbard while her friend was now   
holding the precious item.   
  
"Could someone tell us what did just happened here?" Uranus asked,   
as she crossed her arms.  
  
Everyone turned towards the Monkey God for an answer. Especially the   
two newcomers who gave him the very well known distrustful look. A look   
Trunks was strangely starting to get used to by now.  
  
"Eron was attacking some citizens." he explained simply. "When I got   
here, he was holding that thing which he calls an Essence Sphere. It appears   
the sphere was taken out of the victim. This may sound crazy, but I believe   
it represents the victim's soul."  
  
Everyone exchanged dubious looks and eventually stared at the   
mysterious object. Mercury quickly activated her visor and computer to   
confirm the Monkey God's theory. Right enough, she got some very unusual   
reading coming from it.   
  
"Oh, my God..." she whispered, as she analyzed. "I can't believe   
this..."  
  
"Okay... I know someone *has* to ask this obvious question:" Venus   
began, "What is it, Mercury?"  
  
"He's right." the senshi said, "Son Goku is right. This object not   
only contains that man's life force, but his knowledge, memories and spirit   
as well. No wonder they call this an Essence Sphere, it hold all of the   
victim's essence. The body becomes nothing more than an empty vessel once   
this has been ripped out from the victim."  
  
"But what about the victim??" Eternal Sailor Moon asked with natural   
concern, "Can that man be saved?"   
  
"There's only one way to find out." the team genius stated.   
  
Without wasting any time, everyone ran to the body of the victim.   
After Son Goku told them which one it was, Mercury approached the Essence   
Sphere to it. And interesting reaction happened. As it became closer, the   
brighter did the object glow. Once pressed against his chest, it began to   
introduce itself with no great effort.  
Mercury let out a sigh of relief as her scanner confirmed that life   
had been restored to the body. Rei and Trunks, who could sense it through   
other means, sighed as well.  
  
"But look..." Jupiter said, not as rejoiced, as she pointed to the   
numerous other victims. "What about them."  
  
What about them indeed. There were at least ten other bodies lying   
on the street, but no Essence Sphere could be found near them. As painful   
as it sounded, those people were now dead. Dead and with no chance to be   
resurrected. Everyone could feel a knot on their throats. They may have   
saved one sphere, but the enemy had managed to take ten home. That was a   
very sour victory for the defenders.  
  
"No... but that can't be!!" Moon exclaimed alarmed. "There has to be   
something we can do! Mercury, tell me there's something we can do!!"  
  
"I... I'm sorry..." the girl responded, as she hung her head low.   
"But clinically speaking, they're dead..."  
  
"No..." the leader softly whispered.  
  
**********  
  
Inside the Lord's chambers, the master of Dominia held in his hand   
the last Essence Sphere Eron had brought. As he closed it, the sphere began   
to glow. One last glow before it was absorbed. The Lord then let out a big   
refreshing sigh, just like when someone takes a cold drink on a hot day.   
His eyelids opened and purple flames erupted out of them, making his   
eyes look like two torches.   
  
"Good... that was most enjoyable. I hope to see more of these   
Essence Spheres in the near future." he commented, "Now.. regarding today's   
fight: Eron what happened? This Son Goku is causing you quite a lot of   
trouble as I can see."  
  
"Yes, my Lord." the scientist said ashamed. "The defender proves to   
be a new challenge each time we face him."  
  
"My Lord, I'm starting to believe that Son Goku is a lot stronger   
than he is letting us know." Arlakk cut in. "Maybe it's time to change our   
strategy."  
  
"Affirmative." Sorine added. "We are wasting too much time in this   
mission."  
  
"My Lord, if you could only give me another chance, I..." Eron began,   
but was cut short when his master raised his hand and gestured him to stop   
talking.  
  
"Arlakk is right." the Lord mentioned. "This Son Goku character is   
starting to get in our way too much. We have to deal with him first. I   
believe it's time for all three Masters of Tomorrow to take action."  
  
His three servants bowed in response.  
  
"This is the strategy we shall follow..." he then added.  
  
**********  
  
She tapped her pencil against her note book several times in a sign   
of exasperation. Answers don't usually come by doing so, but there was   
nothing else to try.   
  
Ami decided to put away the pencil and math notes. There was no use   
in trying to study now, her mind was too much of a fuss with all this Son   
Goku business, so she opted to find some answers to that mystery instead.  
  
Son Goku, Son Goku, Son Goku, Son Goku... who was he? What was he   
seeking? Where did he get his power from?   
  
The power... she ran a scan on him during the last fight and   
couldn't find anything magical in him asides from that Bo staff he always   
carried. But if he wasn't magical then...  
  
"Hey, Ami!" beamed a voice.  
  
"Minako, I didn't hear you coming in." the young genius said.  
  
"Sorry I'm late. Where you already studying?" asked the blonde.  
  
"Well, sort of..."  
  
"Sort of?" the girl asked as she raised an eyebrow. "Hmm..."  
  
Noticing her math notes on her desk, Minako didn't hesitate to open   
them on the last page. She got her answer there. Written several times in a   
single page was the name Son Goku. Minako grinned.  
  
"What's this?" she teased, while pointing at the notebook, "I didn't   
knew you had it so bad for our new friend. Does Ryouga know?"  
  
"Come on, Minako, don't start with that again." Ami told her as she   
bushed. "I was just trying to put some clues together to find out who he   
really is."  
  
"Have you found something?" she asked, now a lot more serious.  
  
"Well, not really. I mean... we don't have a lot of clues either."   
she explained, "I can't think of a person we know who could be him."  
  
"Well, let's see..." Minako began, "Let's make a list of all the   
super strong guys we know of. Hmmm... Ranma Saotome."  
  
"I don't know, Minako." Ami said, "Ranma may have a very protective   
nature and he does care about the people next to him, but I don't think he   
would dress up in a ninja suite and take the name of Son Goku to fight next   
to us."  
  
"Point taken." the blonde acknowledged, "Besides, I bet he'd say   
something like 'guys wearing that kinda costumes look like geeks' or   
something like that. How about Ryouga? He's pretty strong too and I bet he'd   
look great in a tight ninja outfit."  
  
"I don't think it's him either." she went on, as she pushed away the   
image of Ryouga in a tight suit, "Just like Ranma, he would be more likely   
to fight without dressing up in some ancient Chinese legend. Not to mention   
that with his direction problem, he's not very likely to be near Juuban most   
of the time to be a 'local hero'."   
  
"Now that you mention it, Son Goku looks too muscular for being   
either Ranma or Ryouga who look more like the athletic type. Especially   
Ranma." Minako added. "Well, then I guess it must be someone we don't know.   
I can't think of any other superpowered guys worth mentioning."  
  
A second of silence past before the two suddenly looked at each other.   
  
"Actually, there *is* someone else." Ami brought out.  
  
"You're not thinking about 'you-know-who-from-three-years-ago', are   
you?"  
  
"Trunks could be a possibility." she said.  
  
"Yeah, *if* there was a possibility for him to come back to this   
dimension that is." her friend pointed out. "C'mon, Ami. As much as it would   
be great to see him again, the guy is from an entirely different dimension.   
We saw the last of him when he went back to his world."  
  
"I know... it doesn't make any sense." the young genius accepted.   
  
"I mean... I'd really like to see him too. All of us would." she   
confessed. "Especially since we don't know if he had any success with his   
mission. But in any case, I think Trunks is definitively out of the list.   
The time he crashed here was a one in a million chance."  
  
"Yes, I know." Ami remembered, "I always wondered what might have   
happened to him?"  
  
"All of us had. Mako-chan most of all." Minako went on. "I really do   
hope he made it through with his mission. Hope he gave that friend of his   
that heart medicine."  
  
"Yeah, me too..."  
  
Moments after saying that, Ami remembered the time they met Trunks.   
Those were interesting days. Even if the Saiyajin hybrid had stayed for only   
a month and two weeks, the memories didn't disappear with his departure.   
Yes... they all hoped everything went well for him.   
Her sight harden a little, as if she tried to remember something   
else. Trunks... Son Goku... why did it sound so familiar when put together?   
Her eyes grew progressively as realization struck her. Minako noticed her   
expression quickly.  
  
"Ami?"  
  
"Oh, my God..." the young genius spoke.  
  
"Ami, what's wrong?"   
  
"Oh, my GOD!" she repeated.  
  
"Ami, what is it??"  
  
"Minako..." she began, "Do you remember the talk we had with Trunks   
on his last day here? The one where he told us about his world?"  
  
"Of course I remember." she answered naturally, "About those   
androids, Dragon Balls and stuff. What about it?"  
  
"When he told us about his mission, do you remember the name of the   
guy he was intended to help?" she added, "The one with the heart disease?"  
  
Minako took a short travel inside her brain and opened the 'three   
years ago memories' file. After a couple of seconds her eyes began to grow   
as well.   
  
"No waaay!!" she said.  
  
"Yes," Ami confirmed, "Son Goku was his friend's name."  
  
"Wow..."   
  
"No kidding." she added, "All this time that I've been searching for   
clues on Son Goku: the Monkey God, I was following a wrong trail. I   
completely forgot about the *other* Son Goku: the Saiyajin from Trunks'   
past."  
  
"But still... what does it all mean?" Minako asked, her brain still   
overflowed with all the new information. "I mean... is this Son Goku... I   
mean... what's the deal here??"  
  
"I... I don't know. I'm still not sure." Ami confessed. "I mean...   
maybe the Son Goku we know is Trunks friend from his dimension. Maybe he's   
the one Trunks saved from a heart disease... and now he's here."  
  
"Wait wait wait wait wait. *Why* is he here? *How* did he get here?"   
the blonde inquired.   
  
"Here come the evil three words again: I don't know." she said. "But   
still, it's just too much of a coincidence."  
  
"Hold it... no... he can't be from Trunks world. It just doesn't fit."   
Minako suddenly declared. "Remember Trunks' story? He told us that Son Goku   
was a powerful warrior, strong enough to destroy the androids that were the   
reason for all the mess. If that's the case, Son Goku should be stronger   
than Trunks, since *he* wasn't able to defeat the androids. And... well...   
I don't mean any disrespect towards our new local hero, but Trunks was *a   
lot* stronger than Son Goku is right now."  
  
"You're right... I didn't think of that." Ami admitted. "Nice   
deduction there, Minako. Maybe I should pass on the mantle of 'team genius'   
to you now."  
  
"Heh, no thanks." she joked. "Too much stress for my pretty little   
head."  
  
The two girls sat down after that.   
  
"Do you think we should tell the other about this coincidence?" Minako   
asked.  
  
"Maybe not. We have nothing but a coincidence to rely on." Ami told   
her. "We have nothing solid. Maybe we're following another wrong trail."  
  
"Besides," her friend added, "I wouldn't want to get Mako-chan all   
worked up about this. No need to get her hopes high with anything regarding   
Trunks' world if there's nothing sure."   
  
"Yes, that's something we have to be extra careful with."  
  
As if on cue to interrupt the conversation (as well as the only way   
the author came up to make a scene transition ^^U) the well known screams of   
terrified innocent bystanders started. And yes... as expected, the two girls   
became aware of it. So, since we're going with typical fanfic writing   
material today, next on the list would be...  
  
"Oh, my God! What's going on??" asked Minako.  
  
Followed by the also typical and non original...  
  
"Oh, no! Another attack!" Ami responded as she looked outside the   
window.  
  
And let's not forget the...  
  
"Let's transform and warn the others!!"  
  
So, now that we've got that covered, let's just skip the   
transformation sequences we all know by heart and move on to the next   
scene, okay?  
  
**********  
  
"Ini... mini... maini... moe... Aww, what the heck, I'll just take   
yours." Eron declared as he shot another victim with his ring and extracted   
his Essence Sphere.  
  
"Stop it right there, Eron!!" shouted a voice.  
  
"Gee... I wonder who could that be?" the scientist said as he raised   
his eyes to the sky in a bored expression. "Oh, look! It's the Sailor   
Senshi! Whoopee!"  
  
"Irritating as always, I see." Venus remarked, not really amused by   
the scientist's sarcasm.   
  
"It's a nice hobby." he naturally responded, as he took out a small   
flask out of his utility belt. "So... now that you're here, how about we   
skip the whole 'We shall punish you in the name of the Moon' speach and   
just fight?"  
  
"If you insist." the self proclaimed Senshi of love declared.   
"Crescent Beam Shower!!"  
  
Eron avoided the incoming bolts by doing a backflip. As soon as he   
landed safely, he inserted the flask inside his hi-tech bracelet and   
proceed with his DNA assimilation technique. Just like last time, his body's   
muscular mass increased around four times as much, but the creature the   
scientist transformed into was different to the Gerda. Instead of a rocky   
skin, he grew brown fur all over his body. His face resembled a wolf's and   
his hands were now equipped with claws.   
  
"Oh, look, Mercury." Venus said mockingly, "It's the Big Bad Wolf.   
Let's hope he hasn't eaten Grandma yet."  
  
"Minako... please..." the blue Senshi mumbled more seriously. "Don't   
start acting like him... It's quite annoying."  
  
Eron took a deep breath. Soon after that, he let out a big howl   
which came out of his mouth and rocked the entire street. Windows broke,   
pavement cracked and all sort of medium size objects were sent flying. This   
included the two Sailor Senshi.   
  
"Behold another one of my forms: the Howler." Eron announced. "I   
assume you know how I came up with the name."  
  
The two Senshi got up though, with their ears buzzing as a result of   
the howl. Their disorientation would take them some time to shake off, but   
Eron probably wasn't going to give them such an opportunity to recover.  
  
"Hold it right there, Eron!!" came from above.  
  
"Not again..."  
  
"We had more than enough of you!" Eternal Sailor Moon continued   
accompanied by Mars and Jupiter. "The people in this town aren't cattle for   
you to take their Essence Sphere. I won't allow..."  
  
"RRROOAAAHHHHHHH!!!!"  
  
The speach was rudely interrupted by another one of Eron's screams   
which sent the three defenders back against a wall.  
  
"Don't you get it yet, you stupid little girl!" the monster declared   
annoyed as he approached the leader. "I couldn't care less about your dumb   
little speeches. Here's a tip, stop talking and start fighting!"  
  
Eron raised his claw, ready to deliver a vertical slash on the   
helpless Senshi. Just as he was about to strike, a red line crossed the sky   
and hit the scientist's hand, make him withdraw his attack. A rose was now   
planted near his feet.  
  
"Stop talking and start fighting?" asked a voice on top of a   
building. "Eron, being such a annoying chatter box yourself, you should   
probably be the last person on this planet to make that kind of suggestion."  
  
"Tuxedo Kamen!" Moon said rejoiced.  
  
"Okay, everyone, let's get him!!" Jupiter began.  
  
"Yes, by all means, come and get me." Eron grinned. "It'll be a nice   
warm up before the real fight begins."  
  
**********  
  
"We're almost there! Faster, Kintouen!" Son Goku ordered.   
  
Not again. No more deaths. He knew Eron was ripping Essences Spheres   
out of innocent bystanders just so he would show up. Each second was   
precious. Each second represented another victim. He had to move fast if he   
wanted to avoid that. As fast as the Kintouen could fly him, that is.   
  
Something suddenly interrupted Trunks' line of thought: a blazing   
sound coming right at him. He barely had the time to turn around when a   
white colored energy blast threw him right out of his cloud and right into   
a nearby apartment.  
  
"Successful shot." Sorine said as she re-loaded her rifle. "Target's   
status: alive. Increasing Stunt Rifle's capacity to 3/5. Preparing for   
second assault."  
  
Inside what once was a normal living room, Trunks, who was now   
sitting on the floor with his back against a wall that miraculously   
resisted the impact, moved his right hands towards his aching head.   
  
"Wha... what hit me?" he asked, still confused.   
  
The sting all over his body made it hard to move, but he quickly   
shook the confusion off his head and pointed his eyes towards the balcony   
from which he came in crashing. There was a woman standing there now. Tall,   
slender, completely bald and with skin white like ivory. Her face showed no   
emotion at all. Her garments consisted mainly of a full body turquoise   
spandex and a black jacket with black boots to make the match.   
What worried Trunks the most was the big rifle taken out of a Si-Fi   
movie the woman was pointing at him. That was the same rifle he saw that   
Elite Raider use on Tuxedo Kamen a couple of weeks ago.   
  
No further observations could be made as a second blast was shot   
from the weapon. Trunks managed to raise his arms to protect himself, but   
the strength of the attack was enough to send him through several walls and   
eventually outside the building once there was nothing left to crash on.  
  
[Why wasn't I able to sense her presence??] the shrouded hero asked   
himself as he began to fall. [Unless... an android!]  
  
The flying cloud cut through the air with great speed to catch its   
owner. Then, as Trunks began to regain the ability to move, he alerted all   
of his senses in search of the enemy. She was probably already stalking him   
from somewhere else.   
  
His ears located the source of danger in good time. With a great   
jump, Son Goku abandoned the Kintouen and reached for the nearest building.   
As expected, the blast passed right where he stood moments ago. Now it was   
time to turn around this 'hunter-pray' situation. The blue figure pressed   
his feet against the building's surface and gave himself a generous push   
which sent him flying to the top of the building his aggressor was shooting   
from.   
  
Son Goku popped right in front of Sorine like a Jack-in-box, holding   
his Bo staff with both hands, ready for a brutal vertical blow. This,   
however, didn't cause the woman to even blink.   
  
"Force Shield." she spoke.   
  
The Nyoi Bo made impact against an invisible barrier of some sort   
before reaching its intended target, giving Sorine two big advantages. The   
first was obviously the defensive bonus such technique gave her. The second   
was having a surprised Son Goku at point blank for another shot.  
  
For a third time this day, the blue ninja was sent flying through   
the air as the Stunt Rifle made another successful impact. The huntress   
immediately flew after him, preparing another strike before the pray could   
take a moment to recover.   
  
"Eron. Sorine reporting." the android said through her Comm Link,   
"Operation Ambush is a success, prepare to intercept Son Goku in quadrant   
D-6 in twenty seconds."  
  
Meanwhile, back to the fight against Eron:  
  
"Roger that, Sorine!" the scientist acknowledged, "I'll just have   
wrap thing up here faster than I had planned."  
  
Eron filled his lungs again. That was the Senshi's cue to cover   
their ears. Another high decibel howl filled the streets of Juuban, making   
nearby windows crack and the pavement shatter. The heroines, among other   
thing, were sent flying backwards. A car was about to fall on top of them,   
but Mercury's Aqua Rhapsody pushed it out of course.   
  
Once the five teens and the tux dressed hero regained their footing,   
all of them saw how the 'now monster' scientist made his escape.   
  
"He's running away, after him!!" Jupiter shouted.  
  
"Great!" Eron said with sarcasm as he saw the Senshi hot on his   
trail. "These girls are harder to kill than cockroaches. Sorine, what's my   
time?"  
  
//Son Goku arriving in 10 seconds.// the woman responded.  
  
"Arlakk!!" the scientist shouted as he kept on running, "Put your   
Mambo Jumbo to good use and get these brats off my back!!"  
  
"Consider it done." said a voice.   
  
Without any sort of spectacular entrance, the sorcerer suddenly   
appeared in front of the Juuban defenders, cutting their chase short.   
  
"Ice Storm." Arlakk said as he extended his fingers towards the   
group.   
  
A violent, cold, wind current came out of the sorcerer's hand,   
expanding like a shot gun towards the girls and Tuxedo Kamen and stopping   
them dead on their tracks. It was in times like these that the Senshi   
regretted having such skimpy outfits: short skirts really weren't the best   
line of defense against cold temperature.   
  
"You're that guy from the park." Eternal Sailor Moon declared.   
"You're one of Eron's friends."  
  
"I would hardly think of myself as his friend," Arlakk pointed out,   
"but you should consider me as your enemy no less."  
  
5... 4... 3... 2...  
  
Eron saw how the blue dressed airborne figure approached him   
unceremoniously. Sorine did a good job wearing him out it would seem. Now   
he could get his revenge for all the humiliation he caused him in the last   
fight they had.   
Before Son Goku had the chance to crash on the floor, the scientist   
quickly took a hold of his ankle and swung him against a nearby wall,   
causing some heavy damage on public property.   
  
"Hello there, blue boy." he said. "Remember me?"  
  
Unfortunately, Trunks was having problems speaking, as well as   
moving, after continuously getting blasted by the female android. Not   
wasting the opportunity, Eron lifted him up by the head and gave him a   
direct hit to the stomach. The fun was just beginning.  
  
As for the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen, they weren't doing so well   
either, the temperature was still going down and the defenders' bodies were   
getting numb because of it. Arlakk stood there, quite amused by how easily   
he was controlling the situation. Soon his enemies would be nothing more   
than ice statues. Getting their Essence Spheres and Eternal Sailor Moon's   
broach would be no trouble at all then.   
  
Tuxedo Kamen threw a rose against the sorcerer, but it froze half   
way through, much like the rest of the attacks the girls had previously   
tried.  
  
"Tuxedo Kamen," Mars began, "Throw another rose."  
  
"I just did and it didn't work." he told her.  
  
"C... c... cold..." Moon whined.  
  
"Trust me."  
  
Well... better than standing still and freeze to death. Just as   
Mamoru took out another rose, Rei joined both of her index finger in a   
praying stance. Fire began to come out of them. Once the rose was thrown...  
  
"Fire Soul!"   
  
The combined effort gave very satisfactory results. The rose, now   
covered with fire, easily made its way to the sorcerer, stabbing him on the   
hand. Yes, that was painful, and it also made Arlakk lose his concentration   
to hold the spell.   
  
"Get him!!" yelled Venus.  
  
Putting into practice the well known saying of "divide and conquer",   
the girls and the tux dressed guy surrounded the sorcerer. There was no way   
he could attack all of them at once. At least that's what they thought.  
  
"Reverse gravity." Arlakk cast, as he pressed the palms of his hands   
against the floor.  
  
Without even a warning, a powerful force projected the defenders up   
into the sky, scattering them all over the place once they unceremonious   
landed back on the ground.  
  
"Fools. Do you really think I don't have spells which can protect   
me?" the magic user declared. "We've fought greater opponents than you, so   
don't even think you stand a chance."  
  
"Oh, yeah?" Moon responded, "Well as for you, don't even think we're   
planning on giving up!"  
  
"I know that." he grinned, "And that's what makes it entertaining...   
Web."  
  
"Huh? What do you mean by web?" the Senshi leader asked.  
  
Out of Arlakk's mouth came the answer, although not in the form of   
words. The sorcerer spat something towards Sailor Mercury. And it wasn't   
saliva. Ami, being the target, was the first one to realized that it was a   
spider web, which grew in size very fast by the way. Before she had a chance   
to move it caught her like a fishing net.   
  
"Wha... what is this stuff??" she asked as she tried to get herself   
free. "I can barely move!"  
  
"One down, five to go." the sorcerer stated.   
  
"Deep Submerge!!"  
  
A water based attack came unexpectedly towards Arlakk. This one had   
just enough time to raise his hands and cast a magical barrier, but the blast   
still sent him to the other side of the street. At least, the damage was   
absorbed by his shield, which was good enough.   
On top of a building, Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus glared at   
their opponent.  
  
"Actually, it's one down and seven to go, wizard!" Sailor Uranus   
pointed out from the top of a building. "And trust me, the only one who'll   
be 'going down' will be you!"  
  
"What an interesting manifesto." the magic user declared as he   
prepared another spell, "Let's see if you can back up those words with   
actions."  
  
Back with Son Goku and Eron:  
  
The situation didn't change for the better. At least from Trunks'   
point of view. Eron had him now in a bear-hug and was crushing him slowly.   
Worst of all was that the shrouded hero couldn't get any strength through   
his body. All the previous blasts he received from Sorine's Stunt Rifle had   
weakened him considerably.   
  
[I... have to do something.] he thought. [Whatever creature Eron   
turned into this time, it's a lot stronger than the last. I have to think of   
something or else I'm history.]  
  
Another painful squeeze came. Trunks was being left without much   
options. There was still the possibility to go Super Saiyajin which would   
guaranty his freedom. But that alternative had a lot of drawbacks. Not only   
he would expose his real identity and power to his enemies, but to the   
Sailor Senshi as well, who were fighting close enough to witness the whole   
thing. Especially Makoto... that worried him the most. A Super Saiyajin   
hardly goes unnoticed and the girls would certainly remember him if he powered   
up.  
  
[I have no choice...] he realized, as he felt his ribs in pain.   
[I have to do this!]  
  
And back with the Senshis... again...  
  
"Stand still." Uranus told Mercury as she took out her Space Sword.   
  
With a few quick moves of her hand, the web holding Ami prisoner   
fell to the ground in several pieces.   
  
Sailor Jupiter and Mars were attacking Arlakk with their respective   
powers while this last one did the same with some elemental spells of his   
own. Neptune and Venus were going to give them some help, while Eternal   
Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen went to aid Son Goku.   
  
Then... it happened.  
  
"HHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"   
  
The shout made everyone stop what they were doing at the moment.   
Those capable of sensing power readings immediately turned to see Son Goku.   
The rest didn't take long in doing the same. A yellow aura had appeared   
around the Shinobi's body.   
  
[Trunks... no... you didn't...] Sailor Mars thought as she witness   
the display of power.  
  
"What's going on???" Eron asked as he felt how his hold on Son Goku   
began to weaken.  
  
"Warning! Subject is increasing his power level!" alerted Sorine,   
who had been doing nothing more than watching the whole fight since it began.   
  
Son Goku's hood ripped open as his long spiky golden hair came to   
life. Along with the physical change came a huge surge of power which sent   
Eron flying back against a wall. Now the only thing that remained of the   
Monkey God's mask was the part that hid his nose and mouth.   
  
"This... this power!!" Arlakk said fascinated. "It's incredible!!"  
  
Venus and Mercury immediately looked at each other. It was true   
after all. Son Goku was a Saiyajin, just like they had deduced earlier.   
They still couldn't believe their eyes, but the proof was undeniable.   
*That* was a Super Saiyajin.  
All of the girls' jaw fell to the ground. Tuxedo Kamen joined in as   
well. Even if he didn't get to know that person as well as the Inner Senshi,   
he *knew* about his existence. Uranus and Neptune showed some considerable   
amount of surprise as well, although, unlike the others, they didn't knew   
what it all meant.  
  
"You want to know how strong I am, Eron??" Trunks yelled at his   
opponent who was lying against a building. "You want to know what's my limit   
so you can analyze me like the others?? Well analyze this on your way to   
Hell!!!"  
  
The Super Saiyajin pointed the palm of his hand towards the   
scientist. Yellow energy began to form around it and was suddenly released   
in the form of a blast. Eron thought he had seen his last day, but with   
lighting speed, Sorine appeared in front of him.  
  
"Force Shield." she spoke.   
  
Just like the last time, the attack hit an invisible barrier and   
was completely absorbed. This caused some surprise among the defenders,   
Trunks included.   
  
"Too many unexpected variables have appeared, our plan can't proceed   
as predicted." the android declared, "Aborting mission. Eron, Arlakk, let's   
move out."  
  
"Agreed." said the sorcerer. "But don't even think you've seen the   
last of the Master of Tomorrow, defenders."  
  
"Victory to our cause!" shouted the three enemies, as the words   
triggered the teleportation system to send them back to their Outpost.  
  
Everyone was still too bewildered to even care, or complain, about   
the trio's escape. Trunks didn't want to turn around and look at the Senshi,   
he could feel their gaze all over him. Confrontation with other people   
wasn't what he did best. Unfortunately, now that he had decided to transform,   
he had to pay the costs.   
  
Ever so slowly, he moved his eyes towards the Senshi and Tuxedo   
Kamen. He then removed what was left of his mask and dropped the Super   
Saiyajin form. His hair fell back at the sides of his face.   
  
She couldn't feel any air in her lungs. She wasn't even sure if her   
heart was still beating. It was him. Maybe he had long black hair now, but   
it was still him. She couldn't forget those eyes and that face. Words got   
stuck half way through her throat.   
  
Uranus and Neptune did, however, manage to speak up.  
  
"Akira-san?" Michiru asked amazed.  
  
The Saiyajin hybrid was equally amazed to hear the two Outer Senshi   
call him by his undercover name, but he didn't get a chance to respond as   
more questions began to pop out. Especially one.  
  
"T... Trunks?" Jupiter finally manage to pronounce. "Is it really   
you?"  
  
"Hi." he said nervously.  
  
  
  
End of chapter 9.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Oh my, oh my. Did I just leave you folks hanging again? =P  
  
  
See you in chapter 10...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	11. Chapter 10

Dragon Ball Z/ Sailor Moon/ Ranma ½ fanfic.  
  
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."  
  
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
AND NOW ON WITH....  
  
  
Chapter 10: Unexpected re-encounter.  
  
  
  
Being a defender of justice always came with a vast number of   
unexpected situations. Usagi Tsukino, alias Eternal Sailor Moon, knew that   
better than anyone. The first thing on the list would be the day she found   
a black cat who revealed her true heritage as Sailor Moon. The last most   
unexpected situation would be now. A long time acquaintance, who   
everyone thought they would never see again, reappeared in front of their   
very eyes. That person was Trunks Briefs, also known as the recently new   
vigilante who went by the name of Son Goku.   
  
Now Trunks was in front of them. He looked different. Taller, with   
long black hair. Yes... this entirely qualified as an unexpected situation.   
And no one knew exactly what to say or how to deal with it.  
  
"Hi." he said nervously.  
  
"H... hi." Jupiter responded still dubious.  
  
"You... er... look taller." he went on.   
  
"Uhm... thanks..." she said, "You look... rather tall yourself."  
  
Usagi raised an eyebrow. Wait a minute... what was going on here?   
What was the deal with this trivial conversation. It's been three years   
since they last saw each other, these two shouldn't be talking about how   
tall they were now. They should be running into each other's arms and kiss   
passionately without even caring who could be looking at them. What was   
going on here?  
  
"I see you dyed your hair." the girl added.  
  
"Yeah... it's a long story."   
  
They seemed so... distant. It was like looking at two strangers   
meeting for the first time. Something was wrong here. Usagi could tell.   
  
"Could someone tell us what's going on here??" Uranus cut in   
impatiently.  
  
Trunks would give anything to postpone this little chat for later.   
He needed some time to think things over. Fortunately, Heaven heard his   
plea and several curious Juuban residents began to approach the area now   
that the danger had passed.   
Firm in his decision to keep his real a secret, Trunks put on what   
was left of his mask which was enough to cover his mouth and nose. Then he   
powered up to Super Saiyajin again and turned towards the Senshi.  
  
"We can't talk here." he said. "I'll meet you in Hikawa Shire in an   
hour."  
  
Without giving them the chance to validate that statement, the time   
traveler quickly lifted off and disappeared into the sky in a trail of   
yellow light. Eventually, the Senshi left the area as well.   
  
**********  
  
Later, in another place called Nerima:   
  
"Another attack?" Ranma asked as he came out of the Dojo.  
  
"That's right." Soun confirmed, "It's live on TV right now, although   
it seems like the fight came to an end moments ago."  
  
The young Saotome, as well as the rest of the inhabitant of the   
Tendou household, were now gathered in front of the television paying close   
attention the news broadcast. Basically, the reporter repeated the same   
formula everyone heard from previous announcements regarding attacks from   
the Masters of Tomorrow. Only this time there were casualties. The new enemy   
appeared in a place filled with people and attacked them indiscriminately.   
The Senshi and Son Goku arrived and defeated the monster, but the damage had   
already been done.   
  
"Oh my." said Kasumi, "I hope your friends are all right, Akane."  
  
"Yeah, me too." her sister added, "I think I'll call them just to   
make sure."  
  
"Those Sailor Senshi sure seem to have their hands full." Genma   
commented before taking a sip of his tea.   
  
"So it appears, Saotome." his companion acknowledged.  
  
Everyone went then to their daily activities. Kasumi cooked, Nabiki   
read some magazines, Soun and Genma played shogi and Akane went to the phone   
to check on her Juuban friends. In the meantime, Ranma was the only one left   
in front of the television.   
  
This was getting more serious than he thought. Probably more serious   
than Trunks had anticipated. Serious enough to force him to turn into a   
Super Saiyajin. Ranma could tell. In two occasions this day he felt an   
incredible surge of power coming several miles away. Normally, Ranma   
couldn't feel someone's ki from such a distance, but the power was so big   
that it triggered his senses the moment it erupted. In other words, the   
enemy was toughing up and Trunks was forced to transform to hold his own.  
  
Ranma *did* promise to stay away from the whole mess and let Trunks   
handle things. Being kept out of action wasn't the martial artist's way to   
go. Although those weird cat creatures the enemy used did persuade him to   
step aside. But still... alurophobia or not, people's lives were being taken.   
And that did make Ranma reconsider his position.   
  
Maybe he should go and pay a friendly visit to Juuban. Just to check   
on how things were being handled.  
  
**********  
  
"Who was that on the phone, Rei?" Usagi asked.  
  
"Akane Tendou." she told her. "She heard about the attack and just   
wanted to make sure we were all right."  
  
"Oh, for a second there I thought it might be Trunks."   
  
"It's been 45 minutes already," Minako added, "I don't think he'll   
take long."  
  
"I still can't believe it's him..." Makoto suddenly said, while   
sitting on a corner with her eyes lost in thought, "He looks so... different."  
  
"Mako-chan, are you all right with all of this?" Minako was the   
first to ask.   
  
"Yeah... I... I think I just needed some time to let it all sink   
down." she answered, "But it's still confusing. I mean... Trunks... here."  
  
"But this is good, right?" Usagi beamed, "I mean, he's *here*. We   
never thought we'd see him again, but now he's here. And now you have your   
boyfriend back."  
  
"I... I don't know..." the girl said worriedly, "It's been three   
years. It's all so confusing. What if he already has someone? What if he   
doesn't feel anything for me now? Oh, God... I don't even know how do *I*   
feel. It's all happening so fast."  
  
"Mako-chan, you've gotta have some faith in love!" Usagi stated,   
trying to raise her friend's spirits, "We've been fighting for love since day   
one. This is a sign. This is your second chance. You have to take it."  
  
"Actually, that brings us to another matter as well." Mamoru cut in,   
"How did he get here? You girls told me that the first time you saw him he   
accidentally crashed in this world and caused some sort of unbalancement.   
Not to mention that the fact of getting here was a one in a million chance.   
What's the deal with that?"  
  
"That's right." Ami added. "And while we're at it, why did he   
dressed up as Son Goku to fight next to us? Why didn't he came directly at   
us instead of hiding?"  
  
The rest of them took time to analyze those words.   
  
"Maybe..." Makoto began fearfully, "Maybe he doesn't want to see us..."  
  
"Don't say that, Mako-chan." Minako declared, "I'm sure he has   
reasonable explanation for doing it."  
  
"Yeah!" Usagi, the always optimistic, added, "We can't jump to   
conclusions. Maybe there's more to this than we can imagine."  
  
"Well, we should be getting an answer soon." Ami said as she checked   
her watch.   
  
Standing silently on a corner, Rei looked at her friends. Just like   
she had thought, all of them were confused by the appearance of Trunks.   
Especially Makoto. She was the one that worried her the most. She looked   
confused, anxious, scared, restless, and most of all: vulnerable.   
Everything depended on what would Trunks say in a couple of minutes.   
  
[Trunks, I hope you know what you're doing.] she thought.  
  
**********  
  
[I hope I know what I'm doing...] Trunks thought.  
  
He arranged to meet the girls in an hour so that he could have some   
time to think his situation over. Right now, he was just a few minutes away   
from Hikawa Temple and his situation wasn't more clear than it was earlier.   
Telling the truth seemed like the only right thing to do. He only hoped that   
all the things that had him preoccupied wouldn't be as serious as he feared   
or, preferably, just wouldn't show up. Most of those things were directly   
connected to Makoto.   
  
The stairs leading to the temple were now in front of him.   
He looked at himself one more time to see how 'presentable' he was.   
Not that he had actually dressed up for the occasion. A pair of black   
trousers and his untucked white shirt were the first things he found in his   
wardrobe.   
  
[Well, here I go.] he thought as he took a deep breath.   
  
"Not so fast." said suddenly a voice approaching from the street.  
  
"Haruka, Michiru." Trunks realized, as he faced the duo. Oddly,   
they weren't looking very friendly today, "Hi, what brings you here?"  
  
"You tell us... Shinobi." Haruka responded.  
  
Trunks' eyes went wide with amazement. There was only one person in   
this planet who could use the word 'Shinobi' in such an insulting manner.  
  
[This has got to be some sort of a joke!] he said to himself, "Wait   
a minute! You two aren't..."  
  
"Uranus and Neptune?" Michiru concluded, as she walked up the stairs   
along with Haruka and cut Trunks' path towards the shrine. "Yes, we are."  
  
Seconds which seemed minutes passed as the two Outer Senshi glared   
at the man they thought they knew as a friend. For Trunks, this revelation   
set everything off course. Not to mention that he still was in a certain   
amount of shock after getting the surprise that two of his acquaintances   
happened to be the two xenophobic Outer Senshi he had to deal with each time   
there was a battle.   
*This* definitively caused some unexpected problems.   
  
"Listen, isn't there a way we can talk about this?" the Saiyajin   
hybrid asked.   
  
"Talk all you want, you're not going to see the princess anyway."   
Haruka told him.   
  
"Oh, C'mon! Aren't you blowing this way out of proportion?" he said,   
getting exasperated of the same old discussion. "You're talking as if I was   
a wanted criminal!"  
  
"And you've given us quite enough reasons to think that way." Haruka   
declared, "Ever since you and 'Son Goku' appeared, there's been nothing but   
deception and lies. Truly you deserve the title of Shinobi."  
  
"Could it be possible for you to stop calling me that?"   
  
"Listen, Akira, or Trunks, or whatever your name is," Michiru added,   
"We're not going to expose our princess to the likes of you. That pretty   
much sums it up."  
  
"Don't you understand? I'm here to help!" he explained, "Sailor   
Pluto brought me here."  
  
"You don't get tired of lying, do you?" Haruka remarked, "Pluto,   
just like us, wouldn't let an outsider to get involved in Senshi business.   
And even if she did, then why isn't she here to vouch for you?"   
  
"How should I know?"  
  
"Hmm... isn't that convenient." Michiru added with sarcasm.   
  
"What's going on here?" came Usagi's voice from the top of the stairs.   
  
Apparently, Trunks' little discussion with the two Outers had been   
loud enough to alert the other girls and Mamoru. Seconds later, the sixsome   
hastily made their way down, but their route was blocked by Haruka and   
Michiru.  
  
"Leave this to us, princess." Michiru told her.   
  
"But what are you doing??" Usagi asked baffled.  
  
"Keeping the scum away from you." Haruka responded without taking   
her eyes off Trunks.  
  
"Haruka, let him pass now!" Usagi ordered.   
  
"You heard her." Trunks added.  
  
"The only way you're getting in is through Michiru and me." Haruka   
declared, "I'm sorry, princess. But this is for your own good."  
  
Regardless of being a descendant of the Saiyajin race, and most of   
all, regardless of being the son of probably one of the most aggressive   
Saiyajin warriors, Trunks wasn't someone who looked forward to such   
confrontation. Mainly due to the upbringing from his mother and the sense of   
rectitude she instructed in him. Also, even thought Haruka and Michiru were   
acting the way they were, Trunks couldn't bring himself to fight them. They   
were, after all, fighting on the same side. Not to mention that, in some way,   
he still saw them as friends... or something like that.   
If Vejiita had been the one standing, he would've just walked by,   
knocking, or even killing, the two girls who stood in his way without even   
having a sense of regret. However, this wasn't Vejiita. And starting a fight   
wasn't going to solve the problem or even give a good image to the Inner   
Senshi. Not in Trunks' book. So, there was only one thing he could do.  
  
"I didn't came here to fight," the Saiyajin hybrid began, "But I see   
I'm not allowed to talk either, so I'll just leave. I know when I'm not   
wanted."  
  
"Wait!" said the Inner Senshi, but Michiru kept them at bay.  
  
"And another thing," Michiru added, "Stay away from our fights and   
go back to the place you came from. We don't need outsiders like yourself   
in this battle."   
  
Trunks stopped walking and turned around on more time. His eyes   
looking directly at Michiru.  
  
"No." he said simply, "This is my enemy as well. I came all the way   
from my world to defeat these so called Masters of Tomorrow and I won't   
leave until the last of them is dead. That is my mission and *that* is the   
*only* reason I'm here. Once I'm done, I'll leave gladly. But until then   
I'm staying and I'm fighting, whether you like it or not."  
  
Without giving the girl a chance to respond, the time traveler   
turned around and left. The Inners managed to get pass the two Outers who   
were blocking them and tried to catch him before it was too late. All the   
Inners except one. Makoto Kino stood where she was, immobile like a statue,   
her eyes looking straight in front of her at empty space. Trunks last words   
repeated themselves in her head.  
  
... That is my mission and *that* is the *only* reason I'm here...   
Once I'm done, I'll leave gladly...   
  
[N... no...] she thought.   
  
"Too late, he's already gone." Minako said. "Knowing him, he could   
be anywhere by now."  
  
"Haruka, that was out of line!" Usagi lectured. "Trunks isn't an   
enemy."  
  
"Well your 'friend' has been lying since the beginning." the girl   
responded, "It is best for you to keep away from him."  
  
"No." Rei began, getting everyone's attention. "Trunks hasn't been   
lying, and I can prove it. If there's been someone who hasn't been truthful,   
it's me."  
  
Everyone looked at the Shinto priestess with a mixture of surprise   
and confusion. Ami was the first one to speak.  
  
"Rei, you've always been able to sense Trunks energy." the young   
genius commented, "For how long have you been hiding this from us?"  
  
"Ami, you knew?" Minako asked bewildered.  
  
"It only occurred to me now." Ami confessed.  
  
"Come on." Rei said to everyone as she gestured them to go to the   
shrine. "I'll tell you everything up there."  
  
On her way up, Minako, who was among the ones further behind,   
couldn't help to notice Makoto's sad expression.   
  
"Mako-chan, don't worry." she told her, "We'll talk to him. You'll   
see, everything will be fine."  
  
"It's not that, Minako." she spoke, "He already said what I wanted   
to know."  
  
**********  
  
"Damn it!!" Eron cursed as he slammed his hands on the desk. "This   
is the third time I've been forced to retreat!!"   
  
"Master Eron, please, try to calm down." Arna asked a little taken   
aback.  
  
"How can I calm down, Arna!?!" he yelled. "This is so humiliating!   
Each time I'm about to get him, that guy pulls out another trick! He's made   
a fool out of me in front of other Masters of Tomorrow and our Lord!!"  
  
His assistant just kept quiet. The rest of the laboratory's staff   
chose to do the same. If Arna wasn't able to calm him down, no one else was   
going to be dumb enough to even try. Eventually, after ramming his arm against   
a few test tubes and throwing away the desk where they had been placed on,   
Eron calmed down.   
Again, Arna was the only brave one who asked for her superior's   
state.  
  
"Master Eron?"   
  
"I'm all right." he said with heavy breaths. "But I have to find a   
way to deal with this Son Goku, or else my position in front of the Lord   
will be compromised."  
  
"Commander Sorine is analyzing the data from your last fight." his   
assistant declared, "I'm sure she will find a way to deal with the problem.   
It's just a matter of time."  
  
"I don't doubt that Sorine will find the best approach to defeat   
Son Goku, Arna." Eron told her, "However, that doesn't mean that I'll be a   
part of her plans. If she considers that either Arlakk or her could be more   
'efficient', our Lord will certainly follow her advice and take me out of   
the operation... And Son Goku is mine alone to take..."  
  
"What are we going to do then?"  
  
"We'll have to act quickly." he answered, "It's time to stop playing   
games. This Son Goku character is causing us way too much problems. It's   
time to take *his* Essence Sphere before he becomes even more troublesome."  
  
"Master Eron," Arna began, "Do you have a plan? Son Goku has proven   
to be rather agile. I wouldn't be surprised if he could dodge the blast from   
your ring."  
  
The scientist turned to look at her. For a moment, Arna feared that   
she might have said something inappropriate which could worsen her superior's   
mood. But to her relief, Eron didn't burst out on her and instead began to   
look thoughtful while his hand rubbed his chin.   
  
"Your observations aren't based without foundations, Arna." Eron   
admitted, "My ring holds a small fraction of our Lord's power. Not only is   
it the proof that I've been chosen as a Master of Tomorrow, but it also   
enables me to take people's Essence Spheres by means of a blast. A blast so   
fast and powerful that no man is able to evade or resist. However, there is   
the possibility that Son Goku is able to dodge it. I've had enough surprised   
coming from our shrouded friend, so this time I'll make sure that he won't   
dodge it."  
  
"How will you manage that, Master?"   
  
"Simple, my dear assistant." her superior answered with a grin,   
"I'll just set him a trap. I think I already know what is this man's   
weakness, and I certainly plan to exploit it."  
  
**********  
  
"And that's pretty much what happened." Rei concluded.   
  
Everyone took a pause to assimilate the priestess's story. From her   
side, Rei had been cautious to avoid talking as much as possible about   
Trunks' feelings for Makoto. Mainly because he seemed rather confused for   
what he felt towards the girl in the first place.   
She did, however, told them that he felt responsible for the enemy's   
appearance and that he agreed to help in the fight. Other topics were   
tackled as well. Rei briefly told everyone what had Trunks been up to since   
they last saw him, how old he was (this cause some amount of shock among   
the girls, as expected) and why had she been acting so oddly lately. This   
had taken quite a burden off her shoulders. Now everyone knew why has she   
been in the library with Ranma and why was there a black hair dying product   
on her bathroom. She was particularly explicit with the latter, making sure   
that Usagi got the message and dropped her 'gray hair' gag for good.  
Makoto had been very silent during the whole relating. Rei couldn't   
tell if she was still in shock or if she simply refused to show any emotions   
which could make her more vulnerable. The Thunder Senshi raised her head and   
looked at her.  
  
"You've been hiding this from us for a month, is that it?" the girl   
asked, and she didn't sound happy about it.  
  
"Mako-chan, I'm sorry." Rei apologized, "But I made him a promise.   
It was for the best."  
  
"The best??" she said enraged. "How can you tell what's best if you   
didn't even stop to think about it?? You had no right to hide this from us!!"  
  
"Girls, please." Luna interrupted.   
  
"I'm out of here!!" Makoto shouted as she stormed down the stairs.  
  
"Mako-chan, wait!" Rei told her, but she was held back by Usagi.  
  
"Let her go, Rei." the odango girl said, "It's better to leave her   
alone right now. She's having the worst part of this whole deal."  
  
"But..."  
  
"She's right, Rei." Minako added, "Let her cool down. She had big   
expectations on meeting Trunks today, and it didn't work out like she hoped   
it would. Right now she's devastated. She needed to blow up against someone   
and you were the nearest target. Don't worry, she'll forgive you, just give   
her some time to work this out."  
  
The Shinto priestess sighed and refused to chase after her friend.   
Everything was going out wrong. This meeting was suppose to bring them all   
together, not apart. Not only Trunks had taken his leave, but now Makoto   
would probably hold this against her for some time. Not to mention...  
  
"We're leaving too." Haruka brought out, as Michiru and her went for   
the stairs as well.  
  
"Haruka, Michiru, what are you going to do about Trunks now?" Usagi   
asked, hopping that Rei's story had helped in changing the Outer Senshi's   
view of their friend.  
  
"I still don't trust him." she made clear. "He could've lied to you   
by telling that Pluto helped him to get here. Otherwise, Setsuna would be   
here to validate that."  
  
"Trunks is not the lying type!" Rei protested.  
  
"Your story proves the exact opposite." Michiru retorted. "He's been   
lying since the day he set foot in this world."  
  
"But he's here to help." Ami added.  
  
"We don't need his help." Haruka declared, "The enemy still doesn't   
know about Sailor Saturn. When the time comes, she'll fight along with us.   
That will take care of things."  
  
"You're underestimating the enemy." Ami told them.  
  
"And you girls are overestimating that 'friend' of yours." Michiru   
replied.  
  
**********  
  
It was a deserted piece of land, miles away from any civilization   
or living person. Right now he felt the urge of being alone. He simply   
wanted to get away from it all.   
  
Right in the middle of a clearing stood a strange construction. It   
was a spaceship, although Trunks didn't use it as such. Inside the craft, a   
gravity room had been installed. It was the perfect place for a Saiyajin to   
train and work out some stress. Vejiita's son was doing the latter right now.   
  
With a roar, Trunks delivered another punch against an imaginary   
opponent. Then he performed some kicks which became a blur.  
  
Everything had gone wrong today. Terribly wrong. And worst of all,   
he didn't knew how to deal with it. Maybe turning his back and leaving   
hadn't been the best alternative, now that he thought about it. But with   
Haruka and Michiru interfering, any attempt of a friendly conversation   
seemed unlikely, or even impossible.   
  
He flew to the top of the room, punching the air repeatedly and   
ending his assault with a roundhouse kick. Then he came down with both   
fists joined in a vertical blow.  
  
It seemed as if all of his plans to make this operation work were   
meant to fail since the very beginning. This was exactly the kind of   
dilemma he wanted to avoid when he first got here.  
  
He turned the gravity back to normal and powered down from Super   
Saiyajin form. After picking up a towel and drying off his sweat, his eyes   
glared at the Son Goku costume that was lying on top of the pilot's seat.   
  
[I'm tired of this.] he thought, [I'm tired of hiding all the time   
behind a mask so the Senshi won't recognize me. Not that it matters anymore.]  
  
It had been enough. His first obligation was to deal with the   
Masters of Tomorrow, not the Sailor Senshi. If he was going to be left alone   
in this, then so be it. He would personally see that the enemy would be   
taken care of. He would do it alone. This wasn't the time to be distracted   
by other meaningless things.  
  
He fell down on his seat and pressed the palms of his hands against   
his face.  
  
[Meaningless... yeah, right...]  
  
Makoto... Why did she had to be mixed up in all of this?  
  
As unbelievable as it sounded, someone knocked on Trunks' door. Or,   
more exactly, on the ship's lock gate. This obviously caused some surprise   
on the Saiyajin hybrid, but as he focused his senses, he could detect his   
visitor's ki. Apparently, he'd been so angry and stuck in his own thoughts   
lately that he didn't sense him approaching the ship.  
  
"Hey, Trunks." Ranma said outside, "You there?"  
  
"Come on in." he told him as he opened the hatch. "How did you find   
me?"  
  
"Are you kidding? You were letting out enough power to sense you   
several miles away." he responded with a shrug. "I saw the news about the   
last fight, so I was heading to Juuban to see how things went, till I sensed   
you somewhere else. By the way, what is this place? Your country house?"  
  
"More like a training room actually."  
  
"Really?" the martial artist asked with interest. The place did look   
interesting to say the least. "Anyway, I just wanted to know how things went."  
  
"Well... " his host began, "Not very good."  
  
"I see." Ranma spoke, "So, what happened?"  
  
"Have you ever... I don't know... said or done something in front of   
someone while you're angry that you would later regret?"  
  
"*Have* I?" he asked with a smirk while raising an eyebrow, "Man,   
you are talking to the King of 'sticking-your-foot-in-your-mouth'."  
  
"Oh... yeah, I forgot about that." the Saiyajin hybrid admitted,   
"Anyway, I think I just made things worse between the Sailor Senshi and me."  
  
"Let me guess." Ranma began, "Does it have to do with Sailor Uranus   
and Sailor Neptune?"  
  
"That... that's right." Trunks said amazed, "How did you know?"  
  
"Heh, trust me, I know." the pigtailed boy declared as he took a   
seat, "A lot of things happened during those three years you weren't here.   
Let's say that my path crossed with the Sailor Senshi more than once. I can   
give you first hand information on how rude those two Outer Senshi can be   
with strangers. Especially Uranus. Call me paranoid, but sometimes I think   
she has something against me in particular... Hmm... just hope that Pops   
didn't engage me to her at some time."  
  
"I see..." he stated, a little impressed. "Well, you're right. Those   
two are the ones I'm having problems with. Partially at least."  
  
"So, what do you plan to do?"  
  
"Well, for starters, I'd like to ask you a favor." Trunks said as   
he took his Son Goku outfit and threw it towards the boy. "Here."  
  
"Huh?" the martial artist asked while catching it. "You're not   
trying to tell me that you're quitting, are you?"  
  
"I'm not quitting, but I'm not dressing up as Son Goku either.   
Please keep that costume away from me. It has caused nothing but trouble."   
he explained, "It was a mistake to come here hidden in the first place. My   
mission is to handle the Masters of Tomorrow, not the Sailor Senshi. So   
from now on, my mind will be focused only on the enemy. I'm wearing the   
suit I should've wore since the beginning."  
  
"Do you really think that'll fix your problems with the Senshi?"   
Ranma inquired, as unlikely as it seemed for him to actually give advise on   
matters such as this one.  
  
"In my world, I'm the only warrior left, Ranma. I have to start   
taking that responsibility." Trunks went on, "Right now, a lot of people are   
being affected by this invader. Those people are helpless and come before me.   
I can't get distracted with my problems with the Sailor Senshi now. I have   
to stay focused on the enemy so no one gets hurt again."  
  
"Well... whatever you say."  
  
**********  
  
She left Hikawa Temple in a hurry, and for the passing minutes she   
hadn't stop running. Makoto's feet eventually brought her inside a park. She   
needed some rest and sat against a tree, wrapping her arms around her legs   
and dropping her head against her knees.  
As much as she tried to hide it, it was clear that she was crying.  
  
"Stop crying, you idiot..." she mumbled, "It's been three years...   
You knew things couldn't be like they were before. You're suppose to be over   
him already, so stop crying!"   
  
... That is my mission and *that* is the *only* reason I'm here...   
Once I'm done, I'll leave gladly...   
  
"He's from another world... It was never meant to be." she continued.   
  
And *that* is the *only* reason I'm here...  
  
"You have to be strong, Makoto!" she declared, "You have to be strong!"  
  
*That* is the *only* reason!  
  
*only* reason!  
  
*only* reason!!  
  
*ONLY* reason!!!  
  
"I... I can't handle this!" she said desperately, braking into huge   
sobs, "Why is this happening to me?? Why, Trunks?? Why??"  
  
She wished none of it was real. She wished it *so* much. But she   
couldn't deny what she heard. Trunks was back, and he wasn't back for (or   
because) of her. No wonder he'd been hiding all this time. He'd been hiding   
from her. She felt her heart drop into the abyss, making her feel cold from   
the inside... dead...  
  
She wished that, any minute now, she would wake up from this   
terrible nightmare. Maybe the sound of her sobs would wake her up.  
  
**********  
  
The sound of flapping wings approached Arlakk's window. A crow,   
black as night, entered the necromancer's tower and alighted on the floor.   
The bird began to grown and change into something human, its feathers   
altering their texture into a cape of the same color. The owner of the tower   
arose from the ground.  
  
"Delif." he said out loud.  
  
"Yes, Master?" crept a voice from the shadows. "Was your visit to   
the genetic laboratory enjoyable?"  
  
"Indeed it was." Arlakk responded with a grin. "I can't deny that it   
was fun seeing Eron so frustrated, slamming everything he found in his path   
while cursing his luck for another defeat."  
  
"Is he really planning to do what you expected, Master?"  
  
"Yes. Eron can be quite predictable when he's angry." he declared   
while sitting in his favorite chair. "Now obsessed with Son Goku, he plans   
to take immediate action, even though our Lord made it quite clear that we   
should stay on hold until Sorine came with some conclusive results of our   
last battle."  
  
"Then this should be the perfect time to tell our Lord what he is up   
to." the creature suggested, "Eron will certainly be removed from this   
operation for such misbehavior, leaving you in charge."  
  
"That is a possibility." the necromancer stated, "But we won't do   
that right now. We should just sit back and relax. Eron will take care of   
ruining his own reputation."  
  
"But what if he succeeds, Master?"   
  
"I find that very unlikely." he explained, "Son Goku is still a   
mystery to us. Until we know exactly the extent of his power, any attacks on   
his person will certainly fail. However, assuming that Eron is successful   
and snatches Son Goku's Essence Sphere, that will just make things easier   
for me to get Eternal Sailor Moon's broach. In any case, the Lord won't be   
happy with him for leaving to the Outside without permission. Eventually,   
I'll be the one in charge to continue the attack, since Sorine is too busy   
right now with project Dark Snowfall to attend any other affairs."  
  
"I bow to your unique cunning, Master." Delif said, "Will I have a   
chance to fight this Son Goku once you are in charge of the operation?"  
  
"Of course you will, Delif."  
  
  
  
End of chapter 10.  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Author's notes:  
  
Again, I'm not fully satisfied with this chapter. I think mostly because   
this part was rather hard to write. Especially the re-encounter between   
Trunks and the girls. But then again, everyone was pressuring me to finish   
this chapter as soon as possible, so 'Ha!' that's what you get =P.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	12. Chapter 11

Dragon Ball Z/ Sailor Moon/ Ranma ½ fanfic.  
  
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."  
  
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)  
  
  
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Chapter 11: Same dog, but with a different collar.  
  
  
The portal disappeared once Arlakk stepped outside. In front of him,   
a group of Raiders were waiting for his instructions. The sorcerer 'humph'ed   
at the thought. Raiders... whoopee... not exactly his first choice for foot   
soldiers, but since Eron had already produced a few, might as well give them   
some use. Even if that meant being disposable punching bags for the   
defenders to use. At least they would live their purpose and get the enemy's   
attention.  
  
Heh. Eron... he could still remember the expression on his face when   
the Lord told him that the mission wasn't in his hands anymore.  
  
"Very well," Arlakk told the Raiders, "Go ahead and do whatever   
you're suppose to do."  
  
And so the chaos began. Something all the residents of Juuban were   
strangely getting used to by now. While screams from the victims and roars   
from the cat creatures began to grow, the necromancer took a seat on a   
nearby bench, crossed his arms in front of his chest and lowered his hat. If   
any of the defenders were going to show up, he'd sense it soon enough.   
  
Quite true. Arlakk didn't even got the chance to take a breath   
before a huge amount of power approaching his position at great speed   
triggered his senses. A blast of golden light dashed right towards the   
Raiders.  
  
**********  
  
"There!" Mercury stated, "That's where the explosion went off!"  
  
Along with the young genius, Venus and Tuxedo Kamen were tagging   
along, making it to the entrance of the park where only smoking remains of   
Raiders were left scattered everywhere. What did just happen? They got here   
almost right after they heard the explosion. Minako was the first one to   
raise her sight.  
  
"Up there!" she said.  
  
Indeed. Up in the sky, two figures were floating, staring at each   
other while exchanging some words. One was Arlakk. It was easy to recognize   
him with that black cape, huge hat and cryptic scepter. The other figure was   
also dressed in black and the girls immediately knew who it was. Trunks had   
shown up, dressed in his old Super Saiya-man outfit. A typical Zorro costume,   
except for the lack of cape and hat as well as torn sleeves from his shirt.   
Not surprisingly, he had powered up into Super Saiyajin. Although, unlike   
last time, they couldn't see him wearing a sword.   
  
"It appears that your friends are already here." the sorcerer   
declared.  
  
"I don't care." Trunks said dryly. "I'm here to see you and you   
alone."  
  
"So you said before they arrived." Arlakk confirmed, "Now, where   
were we? Ah, yes. You said something about not wanting to fight me, isn't   
that right?"  
  
"That's correct."  
  
"Really? Well I'm quite curious in finding out why."  
  
"I want you to deliver a message." Saiya-man explained. "I want you   
to go back to your boss and tell him to stop sending his lackeys. Tell him   
that I'm tired of this little game. If he wants to fight, let him come in   
person. Because when he does, I'll be waiting here for him."  
  
"You want me to deliver your challenge to my Lord?" the necromancer   
inquired with a grin.  
  
"You heard me."  
  
"Heh..." Arlakk began, "Heh heh heh. Heh heh heh heh heh! Ha Ha Ha   
Ha Ha Ha Ha!! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!"  
  
Even if they didn't knew him much, everyone agreed that Arlakk was   
more the serious, silent, cryptic kind of guy. So, to see him burst in such   
laughter did cause some surprise among the defenders. Nevertheless, the   
sorcerer seemed genuinely amused by what Super Saiya-man might have said. The   
girls couldn't imagine what it could be, but one thing was for sure:   
Arlakk's laughter, which spread among the streets of Juuban like a highly   
developed cancer on an old man's body, sent shivers down their spine.   
  
Eventually, the Necromancer stopped laughing. Trunks didn't look   
amused though.  
  
"Oh... That was rich..." Arlakk said as he took back some air, "I   
don't remember when was the last time I laughed so hard. Actually, I don't   
remember when was the last time I even laughed."  
  
"I see I'll have to persuade you to take me seriously." Saiya-man   
declared, far from sharing the joke.  
  
"My foolish friend, you really have no idea on how powerful my Lord   
is." the invader pointed out. "You should consider yourself lucky that   
you're not facing him. You would lose before the match even began. My Lord   
wants to have some fun. I would be quite boring for him to make things as   
simple as arriving and winning, wouldn't it? Besides, I'm quite anxious to   
see what you can do, now that you've decided to show your true colors, Son   
Goku."  
  
"Have it your way then." the masked hero stated, as he braced   
himself, "And the name is Super Saiya-man now."  
  
"No difference to me. But let's not forget about your friends."   
Arlakk added, as pulled out a small leather pouch from his belt, "Since you   
want to keep this fight just between the two of us, I'll give your friends   
something to entertain themselves with to make sure they don't interfere."  
  
The necromancer opened the pouch and five small white objects fell   
to the streets below. Trunks looked confused. Where those things teeth?   
Before they met the ground, Arlakk was already chanting some arcane   
words and moving his hands in odd ways.   
  
The five objects fell a couple of feet away from the three defenders.   
And soon, something began to sake from below. Mercury thought that an   
earthquake was about to occur, but realized that she was wrong as five   
skeletons arose from the ground right where each tooth had fell. Regardless   
of looking very dead, they were looking rather active, and most of all,   
anxious to cause some death. Otherwise they wouldn't be equipped with swords   
and shields, now would they?  
  
"It's incredible the things you can accomplish with a few Dragon   
teeth these days, isn't it?" Arlakk declared, "Now... shall we start?"   
  
"Certainly." Saiya-man responded, as yellow energy began to flow in   
his right hand.  
  
Without saying another word, he launched the blast directly against   
his opponent. Within inches of being touched, the necromancer disappeared in   
thin air causing the attack to disappear in the horizon. Trunks raised an   
eyebrow. This was unexpected. Even though magical energy was still somewhat   
confusing to him, he was quite sure that Arlakk didn't had what it takes to   
dodge that attack. Still, he could sense where his enemy was right now.  
  
"A contingency spell placed upon myself." the sorcerer explained   
from Trunks right, "It triggers a teleportation technique seconds before   
getting hit, regardless of how fast the attack itself is."  
  
"So, you're planning on just dodging?"  
  
"Wrong again." he pointed out, while casting another spell. "I have   
other tricks as well. Shadow Lord!"  
  
After saying those words, Arlakk's body suffered a transformation.   
Since he always wore black clothes, it was impossible for Trunks to imagine   
that he could get any darker. Yet, he was proved wrong as he witnessed how   
his adversary became nothing more than a black silhouette. Arlakk had   
attained the substance of a shadow. But what concerned the Saiyajin hybrid   
the most was that he couldn't sense him anymore. The sorcerer was right in   
front of him and yet he couldn't feel his presence.   
  
The shadow charged at him and Trunks grinned. Magic or not, Arlakk   
was as fast as any normal human. There was no chance in Hell that he'd be   
able to lay a punch on him, so he went for the first blow instead. With   
blinding speed, Saiya-man appeared in front of the sorcerer and sent his   
foot against the adversary's face.  
Second big surprise of the day: his foot passed right through him   
without causing any damage. It was just like trying to hit smoke. Taking   
advantage of the surprise factor, Arlakk's right hand suddenly took the form   
of a knife and hurled it against the Saiyajin hero. Trunks barely had time   
to dodge due to the uncomfortable position he was in. The knife grazed his   
left side, giving a new opening to his shirt.  
  
Saiya-man pulled back to rethink his strategy. Maybe he wasn't able   
to touch Arlakk, but this one didn't seem to have any problems touching him.   
  
"There's no way you can touch me." Arlakk told him, "My physical   
body is in the Astral Plane, a completely different plane of existence. As   
long as I'm in this form, no physical attacks can harm me. Plus, you won't   
be able to feel my presence either since I'm technically not here."  
  
"Thanks for the interesting lecture." Trunks replied sarcastically,   
"But don't think that I'm left without options."  
  
"I sincerely hope so."  
  
In the meantime, Venus, Mercury and Tuxedo Kamen were having   
problems of their own. The skeleton warriors weren't exactly mighty   
opponents. Actually, compared to the Raiders, they were kinda slow.   
Nevertheless, their were five of them against two Senshi and one tux dressed   
hero. But most of all, each time they got hit an fell to pieces, all of the   
bones magically got back together and formed a new skeleton. Sometimes the   
undead warrior lacked an arm or a leg, if this one had been destroyed   
previously, but the creature went on with the assault regardless of that   
little hindrance.   
  
Much to Tuxedo Kamen's grief, his roses didn't seem to cause any   
damage at all. The skeleton in front of him, which resembled more a walking   
rose bush by now, seemed to have problems assimilating the word 'pain'.   
Which wasn't a big surprise considering he was already dead. Ergo, Mamoru   
took out his trusty extendible cane and used it as a weapon which gave more   
satisfactory results.   
  
"We're getting nowhere like this." Venus stated, "Those things don't   
get tired of falling to pieces."  
  
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!!"   
  
All of the skeletons raised their shields in order to block the   
incoming attacks, but it didn't help much. Human bones of all kind were sent   
scattered everywhere.  
  
"Eternal Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter!!" Mercury said relieved.   
  
Help had finally arrived. And not a moment too soon, as the bones   
began to gather again. Only this time, instead of five skeletons, all of the   
pieces gathered in one huge mass, forming only one monster. The defenders   
progressively raised their eyes as the creature began to take form in front   
of them, each bone contributing in its own way.   
Now, what could only be described as an improvised giant skeleton   
spider, stood threateningly in the streets of Juuban. Its legs, all six of   
them, where a strange mixture of tibias, femurs, humerus, radius, kneecaps   
and cubitus that made it look grotesque, especially through the eyes of a   
scholar like Ami where there was no logical way in making such an impossible   
contraption able to bend or even move. Asides that, more bones had gathered   
in twisted ways in order to form a pair of giant arms (or at least they tried   
really hard to look like arms). All of the five ribcages made the main body   
and the skulls where either at the center or, for the less fortunate who got   
their late, used like a crude substitute for a mace along with a few   
shoulder blades and any other left over bone.   
  
"Well, at least our enemies are trying really hard to look more   
original." Venus commented.  
  
This was her cue. Eternal Sailor Moon pulled out her scepter.  
  
Moments before that, Arlakk had managed to keep his enemy at the   
defensive. By means of his Shadow Lord spell, the sorcerer grew several   
shadow tentacles with razor sharp extremities out of his body. To make his   
attack more efficient, he constantly moved out of Saiya-man's sight by   
merging with other shadows in nearby buildings and then reappearing in   
another place. As long as there'd be shadows, he could use them as portals   
or could even animate them into any object he thought of.  
  
Trunks was getting a run for his money. Not only he couldn't sense   
any of Arlakk's attacks, but he also had to keep his eyes open for every   
shadow near him which represented a potential threat. As if things weren't   
complicated enough, Arlakk constantly hid himself inside the city, which   
made ki attacks an impossibility, considering that he could accidentally   
blow up a building and kill several innocent people.  
  
[I'm sure that my blast can hurt him.] he thought, [Arlakk must know   
this too, that's why he's keeping the fight inside the city. All I need is   
one clear shot.]  
  
About five dark daggers came out of a shadow from his left. Trunks   
quickly raised his hand and produced a medium size energy sphere which   
literally swallowed the missiles. He then dismissed the sphere... just to   
get himself clobbered over the head seconds later by a huge hammer shaped   
shadow the size of a car. Our hero crashed on the street face down.   
  
Immediately after, a dark tentacle came behind a trash can and   
curled around his left ankle, hurling the victim against a brick wall. Now   
came another flurry of daggers, which Saiya-man dodged by taking the sky.   
  
[Damn it!!] he cursed.   
  
From his bird-eye view, Trunks saw how several black dots from all   
around Juuban began to gather into a dark sea. Suddenly, two giant shadow   
hands came out of darkness and grabbed the time traveler as if he was the   
neck of a bottle, leaving his head as the only part free.   
As he felt his body being squeezed like a tooth paste tube, Trunks   
quickly realized that the Shadow Lord spell also gave Arlakk a lot of   
strength.  
  
Yet, the necromancer's joy didn't last long when Saiya-man increased   
his power and cover himself with a yellow aura, therefore distorting the   
pair of hands that held him captive.  
  
Arlakk was about to launch another attack when something caught his   
attention. He grinned.   
  
"At last, the one I've been waiting for is here." he said.   
  
He swiftly moved towards the place the Senshi were fighting just in   
time to witness how Eternal Sailor Moon was preparing to obliterate his   
skeleton monster with her final attack. Arlakk simply snapped his fingers.   
  
Usagi raised her scepter.  
  
"Star Light Honey Moon Therapy... Hey!"  
  
The rest of the Senshi knew Eternal Sailor Moon's attack well enough   
to know that a "Hey" wasn't part of their leader's 'before-killing-the-enemy  
-while-doing-a-funky-dance' speach. Something went wrong, and as all of the   
defenders turned around to see what it was, no one could believe their eyes.  
  
Usagi was being held in grappling technique by... her own shadow?   
It seemed impossible at first, but what they saw was undeniable: Eternal   
Sailor Moon's shadow apparently got tired of lying on the ground and decided   
to come up and play with her owner.  
  
Tuxedo Kamen, being the first one who snapped out of it, quickly ran   
towards his girlfriend to help. But just as he did, the giant skeleton   
spider made itself notice by cutting his path with a brutal vertical smash   
from its mace, forcing Mamoru to draw back. It became quite clear that the   
monster wasn't going to let anyone interfere between Eternal Sailor Moon and   
her shadow.  
  
"I'll handle this!" Jupiter declared, "Jupiter Oak Evolution!!"  
  
Hundreds of small green energy bolts cut through the air and crashed   
against the skeleton's 'legs'. Although an effective attack, there was   
simply too much of a monster in order to be affected entirely. Part of the   
body fell, but the rest didn't sit down and wait for another assault.   
Several swings, thrust, stabs and blows were delivered to the defenders,   
putting them to the defensive. That gave the fallen bones enough time to   
head back to the main body.  
  
  
Not far behind, Eternal Sailor Moon was having problems of her own.   
For starters, her shadow had an arm around her neck. That was quite   
uncomfortable. Secondly, her aggressor was stronger than her. That was quite   
inconvenient, and rather unfair from Usagi's point of view. And as if that   
wasn't enough, Arlakk chose that time to materialize in his shadow form in   
front of her.  
  
Having the defender's broach so close, ready to be taken without an   
obstacle, made the necromancer's hands drum. He had a moment of doubt.   
Getting the broach or dealing with Super Saiya-man? Surely the golden spiky   
haired warrior was starting to wonder why he wasn't getting attacked lately   
and, if not attended to, could interfere with the Senshi's fight and send   
his plans off balance. But the broach... so close... No. If Lord Kyristan   
found out that he was giving priority to his own interests instead of the   
mission he would be taken out of the operation just like Eron.  
  
"Deal with her." Arlakk ordered to his shadow minion, "But don't   
kill her. I need her alive for the time being."  
  
And with those final words he left back to his fight with Super   
Saiya-man.  
  
Although a little relieved by not having to worry about Arlakk,   
Eternal Sailor Moon was still in a difficult position (literally speaking).   
The air in her lungs was running out, and if she didn't do something soon,   
all would be lost.   
As she tried to brake her hold free, Usagi remembered again that she   
had a strength disadvantage. In her desperation, she took a firm grasp on   
her scepter and swung it back where she hoped her alter ego's head would be.   
  
The shadow let her go and stumbled back while grabbing her aching   
head. Something was wrong here... physical attacks weren't suppose to hurt   
her... unless... of course. That scepter had magical properties. This was   
problematic.  
  
  
By that time, Trunks got another round against the necromancer. Much   
like before, he had to stay focused on dodging incoming shadow forms, which   
only frustrated him more. As for Venus, Jupiter, Mercury and Tuxedo Kamen,   
more blows, swings and attacks of the sort came their way, keeping them away   
from Eternal Sailor Moon. It was quite easy to realize now that Arlakk had   
planned this invasion very carefully. He had the strongest fighters fending   
for themselves, completely on their own, while he kept the rest occupied   
with the skeleton spider. Mamoru hated to admit it, but the sorcerer's   
strategy was working pretty well.   
  
"Flame Sniper!!" came a shout, and a flaming arrow with it.  
  
Part of the skeleton fell down again... not that it was something   
new that day, but it gave the defenders enough time to pull back and get a   
breather. Mars quickly made her way towards her friends.  
  
"Could anyone give me a short briefing session?" she asked.  
  
"Well," Mercury began, "We're facing a giant skeleton spider able to   
rebuilt herself, Usagi's busy fighting her own shadow and Trunks is taking   
on Arlakk."  
  
That was brief. But it also explained why Rei's spiritual senses had   
gone wild earlier. She could feel so much... death... hatred... agony coming   
from the battle field. Being a medium, she'd always been sensitive to spiritual   
energy and sort, but getting such strong spiritual readings was   
unprecedented. Not only from the giant skeleton (who, by the way, got his   
act together by now) but the whole area felt enchanted by a dark magic as well.  
  
"I'm going to try something." Mars declared, "Try to go and help   
Eternal Sailor Moon when you get the chance."  
  
"What are you planning to do?" Venus inquired, "We've already tried   
everything."  
  
Mars pulled out one of her ofudas instead of answering, then began   
chanting some words. Before the skeleton monster got the chance to deliver   
another blow, the piece of paper was thrown directly at his face (skull?).   
Then, the most unexpected reaction happened. The monster stopped dead(??)   
on its tracks. One could see that its arm shook a bit, trying to complete   
the attack, but some force kept him paralyzed. The rest of the defenders   
looked at Mars in awe.  
  
"Hurry up!" the Fire Senshi told them, as her fingers were   
intertwined in a Shinto praying stance, "I don't know how long I'll be able   
to hold him! Get Usagi here!"  
  
  
The moment his creation had stopped attacking, so did Arlakk. He   
could feel someone messing around with his magic. And that person was using   
the exact kind of power that made the necromancer sick.  
  
[A priestess?] he wondered, as if the mere word sounded like an   
insult, [This is unexpected. I have to make my move fast.]  
  
Unfortunately, Arlakk had his hands full with Super Saiya-man. The   
best he could do right now was getting through with him and then head for   
the other defenders.  
  
  
The shadow had Eternal Sailor Moon in front of her. The girl looked   
exhausted after dodging all the blows sent her way. The creature still   
couldn't understand how someone as clumsy as Usagi had actually *managed* to   
avoid all of her attacks. But that was about to end... although not in the   
way she though it would.  
  
"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!!"  
  
The water based blast hit the shadow right in the back and sent her   
splating against a wall like a wet tissue. The monster painfully turned back,   
only to get a front seat view of how the other attacks, courtesy of Sailor   
Venus and Jupiter, were inches from getting to her. It was all over.  
  
  
Rei could feel how the skeleton monster was about to brake lose from   
her spell. The huge mace began to move slowly where she stood, still unable   
to hit her, but getting closer little by little. To worsen things a bit, the   
Shinto priestess felt herself weakening. This was the first time she ever   
tried to use her priestess abilities in such a way. Sure, she knew all about   
exorcism and banishing evil spirits, but she didn't get the chance to   
practice on live (or dead, in this case) subjects very often. Bottom line,   
she wouldn't be able to hold this creature any longer.   
  
As she finally fell on her knees, exhausted, the skeleton didn't   
hesitate in delivering a savage vertical smash to the immobile victim. But   
before the mace made it all the way down, Eternal Sailor Moon's attack came   
blazing like a ray of hope, hitting the monster at the center of his being   
and sending him back to whichever dark dimension he came from.  
  
Mars had just enough strength to raise her head and look at her   
friend.  
  
"What... pant! took you so long?" she asked.  
  
"Sure, you're welcome." was Usagi's reply.  
  
  
His monster had been defeated as well as his shadow minion. Just   
like he feared, the intervention of the priestess sent everything off course.   
This was a lost battle. But maybe he could still take care of Super   
Saiya-man before it became too late. The shrouded hero flew as high as   
possible, but that would be of no help. There was no possible way for him   
to escape.   
Trunks stopped in mid air and spread his fingers next to his face   
with his palms facing back at him. When Arlakk realized that his enemy was   
right in front of the sun, it was too late.  
  
"Taiyoken!"   
  
Everyone who happened to be looking at the fight, and even those who   
weren't, felt as if the sun exploded. Light came from everywhere,   
practically swallowing all of Juuban. A generic scream came out of peoples   
mouths as they raises their arms to shield their eyes. But no scream could   
compare to Arlakk's yell, who was at the center of the blast. Such blast   
wasn't meant to cause any damage really, but given the sorcerer's current   
form, Trunks believed an intensive light could do more damage than any ki   
attack.  
  
And he was quite right as he witnessed in satisfaction how Arlakk   
fell like a brick towards the streets bellow. The Tai Yo Ken even caused a   
secondary, not expected, but none the less convenient, effect. The Shadow   
Lord spell had been dismissed completely, reverting the sorcerer back to his   
normal physical form. Learning Ten Shin Han's technique from those Budokai   
clips hadn't been a waste of time in the least.  
  
He still couldn't see a thing, but Arlakk knew he was going to crash   
on solid pavement if he didn't do anything soon, so he quickly pulled out   
one of his flying spells. This operation had been a failure. Heading back   
to Dominia turned out to be the only option left.   
  
"I'll have to take this priestess into consideration now." Arlakk   
declared, "But today's battle is already lost. Victory to our cause!"  
  
The sorcerer disappeared when Saiya-man was already half way there   
to get him. This only added a few more zeros to the right to the hybrid's   
growing frustration rate. He really felt like screaming it all off. And he   
did...  
  
"Damn it!!!!" Trunks yelled, as his battle aura began to grow, "Are   
you planning to always run!?!?!? Fight me!! Fight me NOW!!! Let's get this   
game over with NOW!!!!"  
  
The echo bounced a few times from street to street until it finally   
died into a tombstone silence. He waited a few moments for an answer, still   
floating in the air, but it never came. People from below began to exchange   
words and send curious stares to the flying hero, but Trunks paid no   
attention to them. He was tired of this. He was tired of these villains, he   
was tired of this world and he was tired of how difficult his life had   
become since he set foot in this dimension. He wanted to get this over with.   
He wanted to just get it done, head back home and then forget that it all   
happened.   
  
Reluctantly, he flew back to his apartment without even paying   
attention to the Senshi and tux dressed hero that were looking at him with   
concern.   
  
[Trunks...] Mars thought, [This is getting worse with each day. Now   
he doesn't even look at us.]  
  
As she turned around to see Makoto, she realized that the brunette   
had her back facing them and was already leaving as well.   
  
"Let's go." she said with determination, but one could sense a trail   
of sadness in her words, "We've got nothing more to do here."  
  
[sigh... This isn't working...] Rei realized, [We have to find a   
way to make them talk to each other.]  
  
**********  
  
The day after the fight, Rei, Usagi, Ami and Minako were gathered   
at Crown's. The topic of discussion was rather obvious. Especially if you   
realize that Makoto Kino wasn't present.   
  
"Have you tried calling him?" Usagi asked hopefully.   
  
"There's no answer. Either the line's busy or he never picks up the   
phone." Rei told her.   
  
Her friends let out a sigh. It had been two days since Trunks'   
identity came to the surface, but the tension in the air since then made it   
seem as if months had passed. The Saiyajin hybrid decided to work on his own   
from now on, completely ignoring the Senshi and focusing only on the enemy.   
For the girls, it came as a shock to see him act this way. They still had   
the memories of that friendly guy they met three years ago. This behavior   
was not from the Trunks they knew.  
  
"This is so exasperating!!" Minako growled, making emphasis on her   
words by violently putting down her glass of water, "Why do men have to act   
like such jerks when they're afraid of facing a girl?!?"  
  
"I don't know." Usagi responded honestly, "But we can't let this go   
any longer than it already has. It's horrible, you can see it in his eyes.   
He's suffering so much because of this."  
  
"And so is Mako-chan for that matter." Ami added, "This must be like   
a nightmare for her."  
  
"I say we go to his apartment and confront him." Minako suggested   
openly, "We can get things sorted out in a couple of minutes for sure."  
  
"I agree." Usagi backed her up, "We have to talk to him and clear   
things out."  
  
"Do you think he'll talk to us?" Ami asked doubtfully, "He has been   
rather distant since he reviled himself. If I'm to judge from the way he's   
been acting, I would say that the last thing he wants is talk to us. Last   
time it didn't go so well."  
  
There was a moment of silence. Even Usagi, the eternal optimistic,   
felt the seriousness of her friend's words. What if Ami was right? Were   
those Trunks' intentions? To isolate himself? No, that couldn't be possible.   
People couldn't change like that even after eight years... could they? She   
tried to find some certitude in her decision, but as much as she tried, she   
couldn't deny the fact that Trunks was a complete stranger to them now.  
  
"We have to give it a try at least." their leader spoke, "We can't   
just sit around and wait for him to make the first move."  
  
"Usagi is right." Rei validated, "Trunks may be overreacting to   
Haruka and Michiru's threats, but he's not like that really. I've been   
hanging around with him enough to know that. He must feel confused, rejected,   
maybe even scared. So he's defending himself the only way he knows: locking   
himself in a shell. He may be a determined warrior, but he's still not very   
good when dealing with people. He must think that if he focuses only on the   
mission, and forgets about the rest, he can pull through."  
  
"I see you've become a real Trunks expert." said a voice coming from   
behind.  
  
"Mako-chan!" Usagi said surprised, "We didn't see you coming."  
  
"Why do I get the feeling that you didn't want me to come here in   
the first place." she stated, as she gave Rei a cold glare. "So, is this   
another one of your little secrets, Rei? Something that you 'might' have   
told me... eventually?"  
  
As if the Trunks problem wasn't enough, some tension had grown among   
the Inners as well. Surely everyone felt a little disappointed with Rei at   
the beginning for hiding the time traveler's presence from them, but they   
all understood that she didn't mean any harm by doing so and that the   
situation itself didn't leave her with much choice. Makoto, however, had   
shown an incredible ability to hold a grudge. She barely even spoke to the   
priestess, and when she did, it was only to criticize her like now.  
  
"Mako-chan, it's not what you think." Usagi stated in Rei's defense,   
"We thought that..."  
  
"Fixing all this Trunks situation without me would be for the best?"   
she interrupted, "You don't have to worry, Usagi. Trunks and I are something   
from the past. We may have had something three years ago, but that's not the   
case now. I did pass though a bit of a shock when I first saw him, but   
that's over now. There's no need for you guys to worry about that anymore.   
I'm already over it."  
  
All of Makoto's words had 'denial' written in subtitles. This   
situation certainly made everyone act in strange ways. First, Trunks acting   
cold, now Makoto contradicting her own feelings. Something that was very out   
of character for both.  
  
"Besides," she went on, "There's no big problem really. He's   
fighting on our side, isn't he? I say we let him fight his way and we'll   
fight our way."  
  
Everyone remained quiet after those words. What could they actually   
say to her? Fortunately, Ami came up with a plan to change the discussion.  
  
"By the way," she began, "Regarding last fight, Usagi, you told us   
that while you were fighting, Arlakk ordered his shadow minion *not* to kill   
you, is that correct?"  
  
"Huh? Well... yeah, he did." the leader validated, "It's still   
strange though. It's not that I *want* him to kill me, but... why didn't he   
when he had the chance?"  
  
"That's strange." Rei added, "Since we're always on their way it   
seems illogical for them not wanting to kill us. Unless... they have   
something else in store for us."  
  
"Like what?" Minako asked.   
  
"I'm not a psychic, you know." the priestess told her as she   
narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Yes, you are." Minako said convinced, "You do fire reading, right?"  
  
"Oh... right." she admitted as she sweatdroped.   
  
**********  
  
"Kasumi, did you see where Ranma went?" Akane asked her big sister.  
  
"I'm sorry, Akane, I haven't seen him since breakfast." the woman of   
the house told her, "Have you tried the Nekohanten or Uchan's?"  
  
"I have." she said, "But no one seems to know where he is right now."  
  
"Well, don't worry, I'm sure he'll be back for dinner."  
  
"Yeah... I guess. By the way, Kasumi... have you seen Ranma act a   
little weird lately?"  
  
"Well, no, not really. Not more than usual, that is." her sister   
answered.  
  
"It's just that... It seems as if he's avoiding everyone lately.   
He's rarely at home any more."  
  
"Don't worry, Akane, I'm sure he's fine."  
  
"Worry? Oh, no, I'm not worried." Akane spontaneously declared,   
"It's uncle Genma that should feel worried, not me. Ranma has been missing   
his sparing lessons lately."  
  
"Yes, of course." Kasumi said. Akane didn't knew how to interpret   
that answer.  
  
**********  
  
"Is everything ready?"  
  
"Yes, Master Eron." Arna responded. "All Raiders have been prepared   
for the attack. I'll send them through the portal when you give me your   
command."  
  
"Good, I'll need something to keep the defenders busy while I handle   
Super Saiya-man." the scientist declared, "Arna, you'll stay in the Outpost.   
You'll have to coordinate the portals so that the Raiders only attack the   
Sailor Senshi. I'll only take five with me.  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"Very well. Let's go."  
  
**********  
  
Ranma Saotome jumped from rooftop to rooftop. This was a rather   
normal way of transportation for him back in Nerima. And, even though the   
current buildings were a lot higher than the ones back home, this didn't   
stop him from doing the same in Juuban.   
  
[What exactly am I doing here?] he asked himself, [I'm just asking   
for trouble.]  
  
Truth be told, Ranma was getting a little frustrated of just   
standing still while doing nothing. Sure, he promised not to get involved   
in all this invasion thingy. After all, Trunks made a real good point last   
time by telling him that the Master of Tomorrow could easily track him down   
and hurt anyone near him in the process. The martial artist had to agree   
with that. Getting Akane mixed up in one of 'those' situations didn't sound   
appealing.   
But that wouldn't happen if Ranma had a costume and a Super hero id,   
right?   
  
Okay... so *maybe* Trunks said to get rid of the Son Goku costume.   
Actually, the hybrid's exact words were "please keep this costume away from   
me". So... if Ranma wore it, the costume would be away from Trunks, wouldn't   
it? Technically speaking of course.  
Besides, what were the odds of something happening right now, with   
Ranma being in Juuban.  
  
When he heard a loud explosion, the pigtailed boy wished he hadn't   
thought of that.   
  
**********  
  
Eron impatiently taped his foot on the floor and drummed his fingers   
as he watched his Raiders going through the well known "crush whatever you   
see" routine.   
  
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" he said, "Show up already."  
  
And he got his wish granted. In a matter of seconds, a speeding form   
covered in a yellow aura flew with blinding speed towards him. Eron let out   
a deep breath. Now he only hoped that the Sailor Senshi would show up soon   
as well.   
  
Courtesy with the villains was over in Trunks' book. Without even   
stopping, he flew between the five Raiders creating a sonic boom of such   
magnitude that sent the monsters crashing like rag dolls against the walls.   
Then, when he reached Eron, he slammed his open palm against the victim's   
chest, pushing him back until he had him pinned against a building.  
  
"What a warm welcome." Eron managed to say after he got his breath   
back, "Love the new outfit, by the way."  
  
"Shut up and listen." Saiya-man ordered, "I'll make this simple for   
you: If I hear you say at least one word of that phrase you use to bail out   
each time, I'll put a hole through your chest. Did I made myself clear?"  
  
"You made your point colorfully but clear."   
  
"Now, I have some questions which need to be answered."  
  
"Yes, I thought as much. So, ask away."  
  
This was weird. Eron was being too cooperative. But Trunks couldn't   
afford to hesitate now. Not while being in a position of strength.  
  
"What are your people looking for in this dimension?" he began.  
  
"Oh, so you know we're from another dimension." Eron realized,   
"Congratulations. You're certainly smarter than you look. In any case, as   
you might have noticed, we're here to collect Essence Spheres."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because it's what we do." he answered, as if the question was the   
stupidest thing to ask, "We go from dimension to dimension and snatch   
people's Essence Spheres."  
  
"Elaborate on that." Saiya-man told him, as he raised the energy   
in his hand to sound more convincing.  
  
"Very well." the scientist said, "Our Lord 'eats' people's Essence   
Spheres to increase his power. Not that he really needs it in my opinion. I   
guess it has become more of a hobby for him than anything else."  
  
"Who is your Lord?" he went on, "Tell me his name."  
  
"I'm afraid I can't do that."  
  
"Do I have to remind you that I can put a whole in your chest?"  
  
"Go ahead." Eron said defiantly, "Whatever you can do to me is   
nothing compared to the punishment my Lord will give me if I tell you his   
name."  
  
"Why the big secret? I doubt I'll find him in a phone book."   
  
Eron couldn't help himself from laughing at that reply. This didn't   
make Trunks feel any confortable. The scientist was acting too calm about   
all this. Even when his life was at stake.  
  
"Very good reply." Eron congratulated, "I'll have to add that one to   
my list. If you don't mind, of course. Anyway, I am forbidden to speak his   
name unless necessary. I'm afraid that's all I can say. Now, next question."  
  
Trunks narrowed his eyes. Eron's audacity really bothered him. It   
made things look as if *he* was in charge of this conversation regardless of   
the threat on his life.   
Before he got a chance to formulate another question, a few familiar   
presences appeared near the area.  
Eron grinned. Phase two of his plan was about to start.   
  
Just like he expected it, Arna opened several portals around the   
battlefield, therefore giving access to more violence driven cat monsters.   
The Senshi began to defend themselves and Saiya-man had a moment of doubt   
as he quickly looked at them.  
  
"They might need your help, you know?" the Master of Tomorrow   
commented.  
  
"They'll manage." he said with new determination, as he turned   
towards his prisoner, "Right now, I'd prefer we go on with our little chat."  
  
  
"There's too many of them!" Eternal Sailor Moon declared, "I can't   
get enough time to send my attack!"  
  
"Deep Submerge!!"  
  
"World Shaking!!"  
  
Two blasts, one blue and the other yellow, cruised through the   
battlefield, disposing of any enemy that was dumb enough to interpose them   
or just could get the chance to run away. Sailor Uranus and Neptune had   
arrived to assist the Inner Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen.  
  
"Eternal Sailor Moon! Now!" Uranus yelled.  
  
Usagi nodded in response and prepared her attack. Considering the   
amount of present Raiders, she decided to hit the very source of the   
problem: one of the portals that were near. If her theory was right, all of   
the cat monsters came from one single place. Therefore, by attacking one   
portal, she would be also attacking all of the Raiders that were waiting   
on the other side of the gate.  
  
"Star Light Honey Moon Therapy Kiss!!"  
  
The white feathered blast blazed in front of her, destroying a   
couple of Raiders while quickly making its way towards the portal. Just   
like she thought, all the hideous screams coming from inside the portal   
proved that her theory was right. Something she would probably brag to Rei   
in the near future.  
However, an unexpected secondary effect happened as well. Far away,   
although not far enough to escape the eye, Eternal Sailor Moon's attack   
could be seen coming out of a building. Everyone stopped what they were   
doing at the moment to take a look at that strange phenomenon. The building   
was about a mile away, but the powerful blast came out from one of the top   
floors as if it were a beacon, making it impossible to miss regardless of   
the distance.  
  
Eron's eyes went wide as plates. *This* was *not* a part of his plan.   
If Eternal Sailor Moon shot one of the portals and her blast came out of a   
building, then it wouldn't take the defenders long to realize that *that*   
building was really...  
  
"Their hideout!" Sailor Neptune declared, "That's where their   
hideout is!!"  
  
The Outpost had been discovered...  
  
Completely ignoring the fight, Uranus and Neptune jumped out of the   
battlefield and ran like the wind towards the building. The Inner Senshi   
didn't get the chance to say or do anything about it as the remaining   
Raiders demanded some of their attention.  
  
**********  
  
"What the Heck was that!?!" Ranma shouted as he covered his eyes.   
  
A couple of blocks away from where he stood, a bright light exploded   
out from a window of a building without giving a warning.   
Even though Ranma wasn't a local, he could recognize Eternal Sailor   
Moon's final attack easily. What he didn't understand though, was *why* on   
Earth was that attack coming out of a building when the fight was taking   
place about a mile from there.  
  
"I don't know what's going on here..." he said to himself, "But I   
plan to find out."  
  
And with those words, he went towards the building which was   
probably full of answers.  
  
**********  
  
"Damage report, now!!!" Arna ordered as she tried to get her staff   
back on track after the attack occurred.  
  
"All of the Raiders near the portal have been terminated, ma' am!"   
one of her men reported, "Sections 5 to 9 are heavily damaged and we've also   
lost contact with Master Eron!"  
  
Arna was a smart girl. Maybe a lot of people would argue this after   
finding out that she loved someone as Eron, which seem to contradict   
anything with the word 'smart' in it. But nevertheless, Arna was a very   
competent person and knew the importance of using all the necessary   
information before taking an important decision.  
  
"Do we still have radar capabilities?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am."  
  
"Then tell me the defenders' position." she ordered, "Maybe this   
isn't as bad as we think it is."  
  
"Subjects Alpha, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are in section K-09. Subjects   
Alpha-7 and 8 are in sector L-06. Ma'am, subjects 7 and 8 are heading right   
towards us!"  
  
This *was* as bad as she feared. The defenders were on to them.   
There was no choice left.  
  
"Prepare the portals to head back to Dominia." she declared, "Code   
Red! All personnel prepare for evacuation. Arm the self destruction program.   
We can't let the defenders take the Outpost!"  
  
"Yes, ma'am!! Three minutes to self destruction and counting!!"   
  
The alarms went off in every part of the Outpost. Men and women ran   
from one side to the other looking for the nearest emergency portal. With   
all the commotion, no one seemed to noticed a certain blue dressed martial   
artist sneaking inside the building.   
  
**********  
  
Time was the essence now. Eron had to pull the final part of his   
plan before more unexpected developments occurred. He hoped that Arna took   
the proper measures for this crisis. Now it was all up to him.  
  
"So, you don't plan to help them?" he asked.  
  
"Like I said, they can handle it." Saiya-man responded.  
  
"But what if they couldn't? Would you help them then?"  
  
"That's none of my business. I'm not going to let you weasel out of   
this one!"  
  
"You lie."  
  
"What?"   
  
"You would gladly take a bullet for any one of them." the scientist   
explained, "All of you do-gooders have the same stupid weakness. And I can   
prove it!"  
  
There was no time to ask. There was no time to think about it.   
Faster than Trunks could imagine it, a black beam came out of Eron's ring   
and headed towards the Inner Senshi. No... it was heading towards Sailor   
Jupiter.  
  
Eron felt how his aggressor's hand released his chest. Yes... an   
obvious reaction.  
  
Seconds never seemed so long to him. He didn't remember running so   
fast in his life. He called upon all of his strength just so he could get to   
Makoto before the blast did. And yet, he found himself competing side to   
side against the dark bolt, barely gaining an advantage of a few inches with   
each stride.   
  
The Thunder Senshi turned to her left after taking care of another   
Raider. She thought she heard something. Saiya-man suddenly appeared in   
front of her. He tried to reach to her with his hand but suddenly stopped   
with a jolt of pain, as if someone had just back stabbed him. Then, he fell.  
All happened so fast that Makoto couldn't even start to question   
what was going on. She instinctively held on to Trunks' unconscious form   
before he hit the ground and noticed that his golden hair had turned back   
to its not-so-natural black color.  
  
"Wha..." she babbled.  
  
There was something else. Something bright right by the hybrid's   
torso. Makoto looked at it in horror. An Essence Sphere. No, Trunks' Essence   
Sphere. It all became clear now. By trying to save her, Trunks got his   
Essence Sphere ripped out of his body.  
She tried to say something, but the shock made her swallow all of   
her words. His body felt so cold in her arms. Dead.  
  
The cryptic silence in Makoto's head came to an abrupt conclusion   
by Eron's loud voice.  
  
"Now!" the scientist yelled, "Get me that Essence Sphere!!"  
  
The Raiders obeyed their master. Eron's plan had been completed, now   
there was only the harvesting left. With no exception, all of the cat   
monsters abandoned their previous adversaries and headed for the Thunder   
Senshi.  
  
  
In the meantime.  
  
"We're almost there!" Uranus declared.  
  
Thanks to the magical speed their Senshi forms provided them with,   
the two Outers were only a few block away from the enemy's hideout. But   
before they got any closer, a word made them hit the brakes.  
  
"Fireball!"   
  
The flaming object caused a medium size explosion once it reached   
the ground and put an end to the duo's race, but fortunately didn't manage   
to hurt them. Once the smoke cleared, Arlakk appeared descending from the   
sky.  
  
"You again??" Neptune declared not very happy.  
  
"Yes, me again." the necromancer responded.   
  
  
End of Chapter 11  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Author's notes:  
  
Would you look at that... another cliffhanger... =P  
  
What will happen to Trunks? Or more exactly, his Essence Sphere? How   
will Neptune and Uranus deal against Arlakk? In what kind of mess has Ranma   
gotten into this time?  
  
Find out in Chapter 12...  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	13. Chapter 12

Dragon Ball Z/ Sailor Moon/ Ranma ½ fanfic.  
  
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."  
  
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Chapter 12: Saving Trunks' skin.  
  
  
"Jupiter!" came Mercury's shout, "Their coming right at you!!"  
  
Her words brought her back to Earth. She had to act fast. If she   
wanted to save Trunks, she had to save his Essence Sphere first and forget   
about the body. There was no other choice.  
Makoto quickly grabbed her ex-boyfriend's bottled soul and ran away   
from her enemies. Hell would freeze over before she'd let Eron have this   
particular Essence Sphere.  
  
**********  
  
//One minute for self destruction.// the computer announced.  
  
Ranma was in a pickle. Of all the bad moments he could've choose   
from to break into the villains' hideout, he had to do it right when the   
place was about to blow sky high. No wonder no one was paying attention to   
him, even if he had Trunks' old Son Goku costume on which was like having a   
'Hi, I'm your enemy! Attack me please!' sign written over his head.   
Everybody was too busy saving their lives to notice or even care.   
  
Regardless of what most people think, Ranma had a very developed   
sense of self preservation. Sure, he risked his life quite a lot and did   
several dumb things that were all but healthy for his survival, but   
nonetheless, when you hear a computer saying...  
  
//Thirty seconds for self destruction.//  
  
You know you gotta get out. And you know you gotta do it fast.   
As he ran aimlessly through the corridors, he saw a few persons   
jumping inside a bright window of some sort and disappearing without leaving   
a trace. Once the last member passed through, the portal began to close up.  
  
//Fifteen seconds for self destruction.//  
  
Heck... this alternate escape route didn't look so bad given the   
circumstances. Ranma dashed at the window and jumped right inside, assuming   
that what was on the other side couldn't be worse than a building about to   
blow up.  
  
**********  
  
Arlakk flew from right to left, dodging the incoming attacks from   
both Uranus and Neptune. Occasionally, he summoned a magical shield, but his   
spells were defensive all the time. This brought a certain amount of   
frustration in the two Outer Senshi.  
  
"When are you planning to fight?!" Uranus roared.  
  
The Necromancer simply landed on top of a traffic light and grinned.   
  
"What makes you think I'm here to fight you?" he asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I wasn't sent here to destroy you, if you still haven't guessed."   
he explained, while turning to see the Outpost not far away, "As a matter of   
fact, my job here is done. You should even thank me that I kept you from   
getting killed."  
  
"What the Heck are you talking about??"   
  
"It would be a shame to lose two healthy Essences Spheres in an   
explosion, wouldn't it?" Arlakk answered, "I bid you farewell."  
  
And without any further comments, the dark figure disappeared in   
thin air.   
The two Outers didn't have to wait long to understand the meaning of   
their enemy's words. The building they were heading to, where they supposed   
the hideout was, suddenly blew up in a spectacular lighting effect, sending   
fragments in every direction. Uranus and Neptune had to cover their eyes and   
fell back on their rear ends, but were fortunately unharmed beyond a bump or   
two.  
  
**********  
  
"What are you doing?!?" Eron shouted, "I told you to get that   
Essence Sphere!!"  
  
The Raiders were doing the best they could, but so far, the ball   
(so to speak) was still in the Senshi's court. Jupiter guarded it like a   
angry hound, sending green bolts of energy to any enemy who got too close.   
She even manage to knock the air out of one of the Raiders with a nice punch.   
Nevertheless, there's a limit to what can one person do by herself, and   
Makoto soon found herself surrounded.  
  
"Jupiter! Over here!" shouted Venus.  
  
She didn't like the idea, but her options were scarce. Taking the   
Essence Sphere in one hand, she threw it to the other side of the street,   
begging that Minako had steady hands.   
Fortunately, the blonde lived up to her expectations as she easily   
caught the Sphere and began to run while Mars and Mercury kept her covered   
with their respective attacks.   
  
"What part of 'get that Sphere' was unclear?" Eron roared, "You two,   
get Venus."  
  
Just like her Senshi comrade, Minako found herself blocked by a wall   
of Raiders. She took a few steps back trying to find some support, but the   
other Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen were busy clearing out more cat creatures.   
Well... all but...  
  
"Here! Throw it to me!" Eternal Sailor Moon shouted, as she waved   
her arms around.  
  
Minako thought about it. Then she thought about it some more. Then   
she thought about it for a third time. She had seen Usagi's handy work in   
gym class and, truth be told, it left much to be desired. Even a basketball   
plunged in glue would slip through the girls fingers. And Minako didn't want   
to risk Trunks' soul in such a way.   
It's nice to want things.   
But given the circumstances, throwing the sphere to Usagi was better   
than letting the Raiders have it.  
  
Everyone stopped what they were doing at the moment as they   
witnessed how the Sphere flew towards Eternal Sailor Moon's hands. The   
girl's clumsiness was legendary, even among Raiders.  
  
Usagi caught the Sphere.   
Everyone relaxed.  
  
The Sphere slipped out of Usagi's hands.  
Everybody went pale.  
  
Usagi manage to send her other hand below and caught the Sphere again.  
Everybody let out a sigh of relief.  
  
The Sphere went lose again.  
Everybody went pale.  
  
[If something happens to that Sphere, Lord Kyristan will have my   
hide!] Eron thought, as he could only watch in horror how the clumsy   
defender kept on juggling the precious object.  
  
More seconds, which felt like hours, passed as Eternal Sailor Moon   
went on with the 'I have it - I don't have it' routine until she finally got   
a firm gasp on the object. Everyone let out a final big sigh of relief. Did   
they just all aged ten years in five seconds thanks to her?  
  
[I'm getting nowhere like this.] Eron though, [I don't have enough   
Raiders on my side thanks to that little attack Sailor Moon did through the   
portal. Plus, the ones I have now are falling like flies. I have to find an   
edge. Something that'll help me regroup my forces.]  
  
Eron found his edge lying on the ground. His devious mind immediately   
began to form a plan.   
  
[Yes! That's it!]  
  
Without wasting any time, he ordered to some of his Raiders to keep   
the defenders busy, in the meantime, he went towards Super Saiya-man's body.   
Sailor Mars, who happen to be close, realized what was the scientist's   
plan and immediately ran towards Trunks as well. Unfortunately, Eron beat   
her to it and quickly picked up the body. Rei threw herself in a desperate   
attempt to take a hold of one of her friend's arms. And she did, but Eron   
quickly gave her a kick in the face to send her back. Rei fell, and only   
got Trunks' wristwatch as a consolation prize.  
  
Before the others came to help her, Eron quickly summoned a portal   
to make a clean getaway back to Dominia. The Raiders, the few of them that   
were left, gave their best effort to block any attempts from the defenders   
to oppose their creator's retreat. That was their life purpose, and they   
fulfilled it till the very end.   
  
"NOOOO!!!" Jupiter screamed, as she saw the portal closing until it   
became nothing more than a bright dot.  
  
**********  
  
"What *is* this place??" Ranma asked to himself.  
  
One thing was certain. He wasn't in Juuban. Actually, he doubted   
that he was in Earth anymore.   
  
Right after crossing the portal, the martial artist didn't waste   
time to hide himself. He was, after all, in enemy territory and doubted very   
much that anyone would be happy to see him snooping around. When the coast   
became clear, he stepped out of the new building he was in. A very strange   
building, by the way. Everything was being controlled by robots, so Ranma   
had to be extra careful not to alert them while sneaking out in case they   
had moving sensors or something similar.   
  
However, what he saw outside was even more impressive.   
Don't mind the extremely advanced civilization he was in. Don't mind   
the hover-cars that flew in all directions. What captivated Ranma the most   
was the sky. There was a city standing upside-down above him. Not just any   
city. That was Juuban. He had flown over it several times in order to   
recognize it and could even pin-point some land marks. But this felt   
different... Everything looked rather far, like a bird eye view... and still,   
when he stared at a particular point long enough, he felt his sight   
approaching. Things got bigger, details became more clear. Small dots turned   
into people, animals or cars. All of it made clear by the shining rays of a   
purple sun.  
  
Hold on a sec. Purple sun?   
Ranma hadn't noticed it at first, but indeed, there was a purple sun   
right between the Juuban image and the world he was in right now. Regardless   
of its dark color, it let out a normal bright light, just like the one back   
on Earth.  
  
"Talk about something out of this world." he said to himself.  
  
The martial artist's sightseeing session came to an abrupt end when   
he heard several voices approaching. He immediately found cover behind some   
large metal tubes, connecting the building he just left with the underground.  
  
**********  
  
Arlakk was in Heaven.   
Speaking in an illustrative way of course, since he was quite alive   
and kicking right now. Still, he definitively considered this moment as   
near as Heaven as he would ever get. Right now, all three Masters of   
Tomorrow were gathered at their Lord's tower. The reason? Eron's little   
unofficial operation on the Outside. The sorcerer knew that the scientist   
was bound to screw up, but not even in his most optimistic guess could he   
have predicted such an outcome.  
  
"Let me get this straight." Lord Kyristan declared as he drummed   
his fingers against his throne, "First, you left to the Outside *without*   
my permission. Even though I made myself perfectly clear that Arlakk is in   
charge of the mission."  
  
"Yes, my Lord." Eron said while remaining in a bowing position.  
  
"Then, you managed to get our Outpost discovered and, while we're   
at it, destroyed as well." he continued.   
  
"Yes, my Lord."  
  
"If that wasn't enough, you almost got two of the defenders killed   
*before* we got their Essence Spheres." he continued, "If it wasn't for   
Arlakk's intervention, we would've lost those Essence Spheres. And you *do*   
know how much I hate losing defender's Essence Spheres in such a way, don't   
you, Eron?"  
  
"Yes, my Lord."  
  
Oh yes... this was Heaven for Arlakk. Eron getting blamed and him   
getting noticed as the man who saved the day. Could things get any better   
than this?  
  
"Oh, and let's not forget about your most notable accomplishment."   
the Lord went on, "You actually got Super Saiya-man's Essence Sphere, one   
of the most powerful Essence Spheres I've felt so far may I add, and *lost*   
it against the defenders. Is that correct?"  
  
"Yes, my Lord."  
  
"And as a final insult, you bring me THIS EMPTY CARCASS INSTEAD!!"   
he growled, while pointing at Saiya-man's inert body lying on the floor,   
"What exactly *do* you have to say in your defense, Eron?!?"  
  
Lord Kyristan, compared to most Evil Dark Lords, was a rather   
compassionate person (in relative terms at least). Patience became one of   
his greatest virtues. He knew that humans were far from perfect and   
therefore expected them to screw up once in a while. He even gave second   
chances to his subjects without any big regrets, assuming that they would   
learn from their mistakes an do a better job the next time.  
But there were two things which really ticked Kyristan off. The   
first was direct disobedience. And the second was losing rare Essence Spheres.   
Eron had managed to do both in the same day. So it was no big surprise that   
the scientist's life was hanging from a tight rope right now. The only way   
he could save his life would be through an incredible justification for his   
actions.   
  
Eron stood up. Much to Arlakk's surprise he appeared rather calm,   
yet the his eyes showed that he was well aware of his situation.  
  
"I consider myself guilty for disobeying direct orders, my Lord." he   
began, "The loss of our Outpost falls upon my shoulders as well. That was   
an unexpected tragedy. However, I do consider that this loss was inevitable.   
The defenders would've done the same thing whether Arlakk or Sorine had been   
in my place. I'd like to point out as well that my staff managed to retrieve   
most items of importance before destroying the Outpost so that the defenders   
couldn't use them to our disadvantage. I also acknowledge full   
responsibility for endangering the Outer Senshi's Spheres, which was the   
result of an unexpected turn of events. As for Super Saiya-man, my lack of   
Raiders were the reason of my failure. Nevertheless, the reason I brought   
his body here was to correct that error."  
  
"How exactly do you plan to correct this error?" Kyristan asked   
still angry, although now a little bit curious as well.   
  
"The defenders hold Super Saiya-man's Essence Sphere, but without   
the body they won't regain their ally." Eron explained, "In other words,   
I'm sure they're willing to negotiate with me."  
  
"That's absurd." Arlakk cut in, "The defenders would never give us   
the Sphere in exchange for the body. They obviously want both so they can   
resurrect Saiya-man."  
  
"That's right." the scientist confirmed, "But I bet they'll be more   
than willing to show up with the Sphere if I use the body as bait."  
  
"What makes you think they'll bring the Sphere?" Arlakk questioned,   
"If they sense a trap, they will probably hide it somewhere safe and show up   
empty handed to your meeting."  
  
"I've considered that already." his collaborator stated, "That's why   
I'm planning on giving the defenders some erroneous information regarding   
the Essence Sphere."  
  
"What do you have in mind?" Kyristan asked.  
  
"The Essence Sphere can only exist outside the host's body for one   
hour. Otherwise the soul shall brake free and be lost forever." Eron pointed   
out, "It's been exactly twelve O-minutes(*) since Saiya-man's Sphere has   
been ripped out. If I tell the defenders that the Sphere can only sustain itself   
for half an hour, they will believe to have only eighteen minutes left to   
recover the body instead of the forty-eight."  
  
"Given that knowledge, they'll be forced to show up with the Sphere,   
hoping to insert it back into the body before it's too late." Kyristan   
concluded.   
  
"Yes, my Lord." Eron confirmed, "That's why I humbly ask you to give   
me permission to carry out this operation to redeem myself."  
  
The lord considered the scientist's words. He could easily kill him   
right now and send someone else to carry out his plan instead. That would be   
a fitting punishment for disobeying a direct order. Still, Kyristan knew that   
disposing of his henchmen in such a way wouldn't fix things. That was a   
lesson he learned several of centuries ago. At the beginning, he never   
hesitated to kill a servant for being either incompetent or disobedient. It   
also helped to reaffirm his 'Evil Dark Lord' status by showing to everyone   
who was top dog. Unfortunately, this philosophy brought some very   
troublesome side effects.   
He would be left without any servants to carry out his wishes...  
  
Eron might be impulsive by times. As well as full of himself,   
irritating, a horrible team player, a real blabbermouth and over all an   
easily dislikable person, but he was one of the best Masters of Tomorrow   
Kyristan had fetched since he began his quest for Essence Spheres. He was   
also a fast thinker, loyal like a dog, efficient, spontaneous (for better or   
worst) and with a lot of determination. And he had cover himself with glory   
in previous missions. Definitively someone you want to keep around to do   
your errands.  
  
"Very well." Kyristan declared, "I shall give you the opportunity to   
fix your own mess, Eron."  
  
"Thank you, my Lord." Eron said relieved, "You won't regret this."  
  
"I know. That's why I'm sending Arlakk to help you out."  
  
"What??" asked both Masters of Tomorrow.  
  
"I want that Essence Sphere." Kyristan made clear, "Arlakk, prepare   
some of your minions for this encounter. I want everything taken care of."  
  
"It shall be done." said the necromancer, "My Lord, maybe Sorine's   
help may be of use as well."   
  
"I have another assignment for her." his master told him.  
  
[Something more important that the Essence Sphere?] Eron thought   
intrigued.  
  
"I exist only to serve you, my Lord." the silent female android   
responded, "What is my mission?"  
  
"Something quite unusual." Kyristan explained, "An Outsider has   
entered Dominia. I felt his presence minutes ago. Sorine, since you're Chief   
of internal security, it's your duty to deal with this intruder."  
  
**********  
  
Minato-ku, number 201 from a big apartment complex. Given the   
recent events, everybody decided to gather at the nearest location to   
discuss and, more importantly, try to find a solution to today's problem.   
Makoto's apartment happened to be the nearest place.  
  
"I say we use the Senshi teleport." Minako suggested, "We can drop   
unexpected at the enemy's base, rescue Trunks' body and teleport back   
immediately."  
  
"I don't think it'll work." Ami declared after making a few   
calculations on her computer, "The Senshi teleport hasn't been tested to   
make jumps into other dimensions. We don't have that kind of power to do it.   
And even if we did, on what should we focus to make the jump?"  
  
"On Trunks, obviously!" Makoto pointed out somewhat exasperated.  
  
"Trunks is right here. Held between your arms." the genius replied,   
as she pointed to the Essence Sphere the brunet was holding. "If we focus on   
Trunks, we would end up right where we started, because this is where his   
presence is."  
  
Makoto sighed. She felt so powerless and frustrated. All this time,   
the Inner Senshi had been forced to do nothing more than watch and make   
assumptions while letting the enemy run wild. For crying out loud!! They   
stole Trunks' body! They *had* to do something to get it back!  
  
"What about Sailor Pluto?" Usagi suggested, "If someone can 'go   
places' it's her."  
  
"But where is she?" Rei asked. "We haven't seen or heard from her in   
a while. Not even Haruka and Michiru know, for that matter."  
  
"By the way, what happened to the two of them?" Minako inquired,   
"Why aren't they here?"   
  
"I... guess they have other plans right now." Usagi said. It still   
pained her to see her two friends so uninterested in Trunks' welfare.  
  
"Then what do we do??" Makoto asked, "We can't just sit here and   
wait for something to happen!"  
  
However, thanks to some useful author intervention and a bit of plot   
development, Makoto soon found out that sitting and wait for something to   
happen actually did help out.   
As they all suddenly looked outside the window, an incredible   
phenomenon occurred. For starters, the entire sky had turned purple, which   
was something *really* hard to ignore. Once everyone's attention had been   
gained, Eron's gigantic image appeared over the city like some sort of   
illusion. Everyone gasped.  
  
"Greetings, defenders." the man said, his voice bouncing in every   
street's corner, "You'll have to forgive my sudden departure a couple of   
minutes ago, but I had urgent matters to deal with."  
  
"Like giving an explanation to our lord before he chew your ass   
off, maybe." came another voice from nowhere.  
  
"Arlakk, shut up!! You're ruining the mood!" Eron growled as he   
glared to his right, then looked back in front of him, "In any case, I   
assume you want your friend's body back. Well, this is your lucky day. We   
both happen to be in town right now. If you're interested, we're waiting for   
you at the abandoned factory in the third district. I believe you know where   
it is."  
  
"What a jerk!" Minako fumed, "Can he be more obvious? He's inviting   
us right inside his trap!"  
  
"And you know what's going to be even more obvious?" Makoto told her,   
"We're going there anyway. If he has Trunks' body, we have no choice."  
  
"Oh, and by the way," Eron went on, "I know you're probably thinking   
that you can come here without exposing your friend's Essence Sphere, but   
here's a little news flash for you: Essence Spheres can only survive for   
half an hour outside a body. So I wouldn't suggest leaving it behind.   
Remember girls, the clock is ticking."  
  
Eron finished his speach with a healthy villain's laugh. When he was   
done, his image over Juuban hadn't disappear. The scientist remained still   
for a moment and then blinked a few times. Then he turned to his right again.  
  
"Arlakk, I'm done, call off your spell already." he said.  
  
"I'm sorry, I guess I fell asleep from hearing your speach." the   
voice responded.  
  
"Could you just call off the spell so we can get this over with?"   
Eron demanded as he began to lose his patience, "I'm not in the mood for   
your sarcasm right now."  
  
"That's a first."  
  
"Just cancel the darn spell already!"  
  
"All right, all right... What a temper." the sorcerer spoke as the   
sky turned back to its original blue color.  
  
Regardless of the goofy ending of the message, the girls weren't   
feeling very amused right now. Eron's last words worried them a lot,   
specially Makoto.   
  
"Half an hour?" Usagi asked, "That means we only have fifteen   
minutes to get his body back."  
  
"What if he's lying?" Ami added, "Maybe it's all just a trick to   
force us to show the Essence Sphere."  
  
"But maybe he's telling the truth." Rei commented, "And if he is,   
we can't risk Trunks' life. There's no way we can fight and be back here in   
less than fifteen minutes."  
  
"Then we won't." came Makoto's sudden reply.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"I won't let them have Trunks' Essence Sphere." she said decidedly,   
"Eron will stop at nothing to get it, so we can't risk taking it to him."  
  
"But if we don't, there won't be enough time to bring his body back   
here." Ami told her, "Even if we use the Senshi Teleport, we don't know how   
long will the fight take. Our best option is to go there with the Sphere and   
try to put it back in Trunks' body."  
  
"I'm willing to bet that Eron already thought about us doing that."   
Makoto replied, "Like I said, I won't expose Trunks' Sphere. So we'll do   
exactly what Eron doesn't expect."  
  
"Mako-chan... you know we don't like it when you talk like that..."   
Minako stated, "What exactly are you up to?"  
  
"Eron said that the Sphere can't survive more than half an hour   
outside a body, right?"  
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
"So..." Makoto explained as she pressed the Sphere against her   
abdomen, "We'll put it in another body."  
  
"What? But that's..." Rei began, but unfortunately, she didn't get   
the chance to finish.  
  
Makoto held the Sphere firmly and squeezed it more against herself.   
A bright light came out of the object before it entered the girl's body.   
Everyone looked baffled by such act. The brunette fell on her knees with her   
eyes shut and arms wrapped around her. Apparently, the pain she was   
experiencing wasn't expected.  
  
"Mako-chan what did you do!?!" Usagi was the first to ask, as she   
got down to help her.  
  
"I... I'm okay..." her friend managed to say with some effort, "Just   
get Trunks' body here soon. I'll keep his Sphere..."  
  
"But this is crazy!!" Rei exploded, "You can't have two souls in one   
body! Mako-chan, you have to let the Sphere go or it might kill you!"   
  
"Please!" the Thunder Senshi insisted, "Just hurry. This is the   
least I can do for Trunks. He took a blast that was meant for me."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Let's go." Usagi cut in, "The only thing we can do right now is   
hurry. Who knows for how long she can keep this up."  
  
**********  
  
Ranma jumped, rolled, dashed, backfliped, flew and fled in order to   
avoid the incoming lasers. He didn't knew how they did it, but somehow, the   
enemy found out about him, even when he intentionally lowered his aura in   
order to pass incognito. Right now, it seemed as if the entire city had   
turned against him. First came some hover-crafts chasing after him. At least   
they had the decency to say 'Stop! You have been identified as a trespasser!   
Drop any weapons you may have and lay face down on the floor' in order to   
warn him he wasn't welcome.   
Now, Ranma, like any normal person, wasn't someone who liked being   
shot at. However, he had a funny felling that been taken prisoner would   
probably be worse. So he ran. He manage to outmaneuver the hover-crafts at   
first, but then they called for backup. Said back up was really a couple of   
two stories high robots, armed with canons a little bit everywhere around   
their arms. Seconds after realizing that, the streets became a real laser   
festival and Ranma was left with no choice other than dodging, for his ki   
blasts didn't seem to damage the robots' armor.  
  
[Think! Think! Think! Think! Think! Ranma think!] he said to himself,   
[I can't dodge forever and I bet there's more of these goons coming after me.   
Damn it! Looks like I don't have a choice.]  
  
The now Son Goku 'fill in' nimbly managed to move towards his two   
giant aggressors while dodging more blasts. He was about to do something.  
  
"Here it comes!" he shouted.  
  
The two Sentries immediately stopped shooting. Everything pointed   
out that the Outsider was about to perform a major attack, so they raised   
their energy shield in order to absorb any possible assault.  
  
"Saotome Special technique!!" Ranma announced.  
  
The posterior events that occurred after that became quite   
unexpected. Just as he was about to hit their shield, Ranma suddenly turned   
tail and ran with a speed that would've made the Flash feel jealous. The two   
Sentries remained still... that was quite a non computable reaction the one   
they just saw... and if they had the ability to blink in confusion, the two   
giant would've certainly done so.   
  
**********  
  
"Greeting, Sailor Senshi." Eron said, as he turned around to face   
the door leading to his room, "I'm so happy you made it. I was starting to   
think you didn't care about your friend."  
  
...  
....  
.....  
  
"No... wait. That sounds too cliché." the scientist declared, "Maybe   
I should say something like: Why hello there! So nice of you to come... Naaaa...   
That sounds just as bad as the last one."  
  
"Eron... the defenders aren't even here." came Arlakk's voice from   
the shadows, "Do you *really* have to work on a speach to great them?"  
  
"Eloquence will get you everywhere, my friend."   
  
"It's only getting me sick right now."  
  
Everything was set as planned. Eron was standing at the end of the   
warehouse with Trunks' body prisoner inside a tank which was filled with an   
eerie green liquid. An oxygen mask wrapped around the hybrid's face and a   
few electrodes were placed around his body to scan and stabilize its   
pseudo-life readings.   
Arlakk's role would be an important one as well. Thanks to his magic,   
he would remain undetected while hiding in the shadows. When the opportunity   
would show itself, he would take the Essence Sphere. He had a couple of his   
minions ready for summoning to help him out too.   
  
"Be silent. I think I hear them coming." Eron told him.  
  
Quite true. The warehouse's entrance now had Moon, Mars, Mercury and   
Venus standing with the sun shining on their backs in a all too familiar   
'here comes the good guys' group shot. Without great effort, they reached   
the back of the building where Eron was waiting for them. The defender's   
eyes constantly moved from one place to another in search of the nearest   
trap.   
By that time, Eron had comfortably sat on a business chair, elbows   
resting against each side while facing the opposite side of the door the   
defenders would use... even if that meant looking straight at a very dull   
wall. This was also a typical 'villain greeting the heroes into his trap'   
scene.   
  
Eron heard how the door opened and waited for defenders to make   
their way inside. He took a small dramatic pause before turning his seat   
180º to his right and begin with his speach.  
  
"Greeting, Sailor Senshi." he said, as he finally turned around,   
"I'm so happy you made it. I was starting to think you... er... hum...   
excuse me, but why aren't you girls facing me?."  
  
Normal procedure was for the villain to turn around and find the   
heroes glaring at him straight in the eye. But in this rare occasion, Eron   
turned around and ended up looking at the defenders' backs. The scientist   
could see that the girls ears were rather red. It was only later than he   
realized that their faces were completely red as well.  
  
"You pervert!!" Eternal Sailor Moon declared as she pointed to the   
tank containing Trunks' body while trying not to look, "How could you put   
him naked in front of us like that!!"  
  
"What?" Eron asked confused, then turned towards the subject's body,   
"He's not naked! The important parts are hidden!"  
  
"You call *that* hiding??" Venus stated, "I have dental floss at   
home which is more concealing than that!"  
  
"Dental floss?? Aren't we exaggerating *just* a little bit?" he   
pointed out, "Hey! I'm talking here! Could you at least have the decency to   
turn around while I'm talking to you?"  
  
"Then how about putting some clothes on Saiya-man's body?" Mars   
answered dryly.   
  
"For crying out loud..." Eron mumbled, then he reluctantly got off   
his chair, went to the tank, pressed a few buttons against its side and   
obscured the glass, "There. Happy now?"  
  
The defenders gave a quick and shy peek to make sure it was safe to   
look again. Then they finally turned around, their cheeks still flushed. The   
mood Eron wanted to create had been completely destroyed now, so he went   
right down to business.  
  
"Okay, enough jokes, where's the Essence Sphere?"   
  
"We didn't bring it." Moon said, and it certainly felt good to see   
the look on Eron's face when she spoke.  
  
"Whaaaat?" he asked.   
  
"You heard us." Mars added defiantly.  
  
He was sooooo dead now. Lord Kyristan certainly wouldn't forgive him   
for failing this time. Eron's brained went into overdrive as it tried to   
find any possible solution for this predicament. By leaving the defenders   
with few options, he was completely counting on their predictable pattern of   
behavior in order to get the Sphere. Ironically, it was now him the one left   
with little options in this situation. The least he could do now was trying   
to be in control of the conversation by pretending not to care about this   
shocking news. So he laughed, even if he felt this would probably be the   
last laugh he'd give.  
  
"Congratulations." he declared, "I never thought you girls actually   
had the guts to sacrifice your friend in such a way. I completely   
underestimated you."  
  
"You're wrong." Mars corrected, "We're not scarifying Saiya-man's   
life. We're taking his body back."  
  
"I don't think so." the scientist declared, "If you didn't bring   
Saiya-man's Essence Sphere, then I'll have to settle for yours. Maybe that   
would be enough for my lord to forgive me. Arlakk, now!!"  
  
And with those words all Hell broke loose...  
  
**********  
  
Ruins...   
Everything laid in ruins...  
Not even a single building had been spared from the destruction, and   
Makoto deduced that not a single living person either. Death could be felt   
everywhere.  
  
How did she get here?  
  
All of this was new to her. What was this place? Everything looked   
different from home. The destruction put aside, she'd never seen this   
particular kind of buildings. At least... what was left of them to be seen.  
  
She kept on walking, trying to find some answers to her new   
whereabouts, but she realized that nobody in this city could have survived   
to... whatever hit them.   
The sound of thunder only helped to increase the sadness felt by   
looking at this devastated scenario. How many people had died? It felt as if   
everything happened recently.  
  
The first rain drops reminded her to look for cover if she didn't   
want to catch a cold. Makoto found some shelter underneath what was left of   
a roof.   
  
[What happened? Where am I?]  
  
A sound... the first one she heard, asides from the rain and thunder,   
since she got here. Up in the sky. Was that a plane? No... Makoto peered   
outside to check it out. Someone flew towards her. Or at least, near where   
she stood. As the figure came closer, the brunette's eyes went wide with   
surprise as she saw a younger version of Trunks, about fourteen years old,   
slowly over flying the area, turning his head from right to left as if he   
searched for something. Then, as he appeared to have found what he was   
looking for, he came down, just about a block away from where Makoto stood.   
  
Everything in her mind told her to go to him regardless of the cold   
rain. It didn't took her long to do so either. After climbing on top of a   
stone rubble, she could clearly see the purple haired teen slowly walking   
towards something.   
No... not something... Someone. A man with jet black hair lying on   
the ground, wearing an orange dogi with a blue shirt underneath. The young   
version of Trunks seemed so shocked by this picture that he either didn't   
see Makoto coming or didn't care at the moment. He got down to his knees and   
shook the dead body with both hands in a vain attempt to make him wake up   
while calling out his name.   
  
"Gohan?" the boy said with a fearful voice, "Gohan, wake up..."  
  
His tears mixed with the rain drops falling on his face. It tore   
Makoto's heart to see him like this. Trunks kept on trying to wake his   
mentor, shaking him more insistently until it became clear that he wouldn't   
come back to him. He stood up and grabbed his head with both hands, his face   
becoming a mask of guilt and wrath. Then, he began screaming his heart out.   
  
Makoto felt the same pain in her chest. Losing a loved one wasn't   
new to her. With small steps, she went towards the teen, only to be abruptly   
stopped by an incredible surge of power erupting out of him. Trunks' hair   
lifted in golden color as the rage unlocked his Super Saiyajin power.   
Consequently, what was left of the city began to tremble. And it trembled   
even more when Trunks violently struck the ground with both hands, causing   
huge cracks on the pavement.  
The brunette had to wait a few moments for Trunks to have blown out   
his frustration, or at least some of it, before it became safe to approach   
him. When the that moment came, the boy fell to his knees again, his hair   
returning to its normal color. Deep sobs could be heard.   
  
She stood right behind him, hesitantly at first, but then she   
reached for his shoulder. Trunks didn't looked surprised by the gesture, he   
just turned around, revealing his faced covered with tears and obvious   
sadness.  
  
"He's dead, Mako-chan," he wept, "He's dead..."  
  
No words came out of her mouth. Words wouldn't be able to heal the   
pain anyway. So she hugged him protectively and gave the boy a shoulder to   
cry on. Trunks accepted this shoulder.   
  
"I couldn't do anything to save him!" he cried, "It's my fault!"  
  
"It's not..." Makoto responded, "You mustn't blame yourself for this.   
You have to learn to forgive yourself for your own good. Please..."  
  
Soon, only the sound of rain remained...  
  
**********  
  
"Any suggestions, O' great leader?" Mars asked.  
  
"WHHHAAAAAAA!!!" Moon cried, "Get these things off of me!!"  
  
"I thought so..."   
  
"There's no end to these crazy monkeys!!" Venus shouted as she   
cracked her Love chain like a whip in almost every direction, "We're been   
outmaneuvered."  
  
It had taken Arlakk quite some time in spell casting to regroup such   
a large number of lesser demons, but it all paid up as he witnessed in   
satisfaction how the defenders were now barely able to move. The lesser   
demons looked liked monkey carved out of stone, although their skin was   
smooth, as well as their bat-like wings. All had threatening looking fangs   
and claws, and their eyes seemed ignited with blood. The size of such demons   
varied from something as big as a cat to something near human size. The big   
demons were taking the fight head on while the small ones weaseled around   
the defenders, either distracting them or grabbing their legs in order to   
send them off balance. Such strategy had worked so far and Mercury was   
already pinned down with Mars soon to follow.   
Shortly after, being the only one left standing, Venus fought like   
a raging bull, but she eventually fell as well. The four Senshi were now at   
their enemies' mercy.  
  
"Let's get this over with once and for all." Eron declared as he   
raised his fist and pointed his ring towards Eternal Sailor Moon. Arlakk did   
the same with Mars.  
  
"Silent Glaive Surprise!!"  
  
The Necromancer never saw the attack coming. He was so focused on   
the battle at hand that he didn't feel this powerful energy until it became   
too late. As a precaution, he always had a magical shield cast on himself   
before a fight in order to avoid surprise attacks like now. Imagine the look   
in his face when the abyssal looking blast tore through his defense and sent   
him crashing against Eron, and then the two of them against a wall.   
  
"Deep Submerge!!"  
  
"World Shaking!!"   
  
Two more blasts joined in on the fight and took care of the demons   
holding some of the Inner Senshi captive. The girls quickly called upon   
their powers to free their friends as well.  
  
"Invited by a new age, I'm the magnificent Sailor Uranus." declared   
Uranus.  
  
"Also invited by a new age, I'm the elegant Sailor Neptune." added   
her partner.   
  
"And I'm the Senshi of Silence, Sailor Saturn." concluded the little   
girl.   
  
The sorcerer knew the two Outers, but the young girl was a   
completely new player. In spite of her young age, she wielded and incredible   
power. Her last attack was quite an impressive presentation card, and Arlakk's   
senses only served to confirm this.   
  
"*Another* Senshi??" Eron asked irritated, "Exactly how many are   
there??"  
  
"Be that as it may, this new defender is more powerful than the rest."   
his colleague pointed out, "Even more than Eternal Sailor Moon."  
  
"You have *got* to be kidding!"  
  
"Well I'm not." he said dryly, "Lesser demons, attack!!"  
  
And so began the second round between the Sailor Senshi and Arlakk's   
minions. Eron pulled out a laser gun out of his belt and contributed to the   
fight as well, but the odds were starting to change in the defenders' favor.   
Saturn's intervention made a big difference and the Necromancer was forced   
to concentrate all of his spells on her just so he could keep her at bay,   
although he feared that even his best efforts wouldn't be enough. If given   
more time, he could've thought of a more efficient way to deal with her, but   
due to the pressure, hurling big heavy-weight magical blasts became his   
first option.   
  
"Arlakk, your demons are being wiped out!" Eron shouted, "Get the   
body and let's get out of here!!"  
  
Once he finished his phrase, a red rose cut through the air,   
stabbing the tank containing Trunks' body and shattering the glass. All of   
the fluid inside spread out like the sea and the hybrid's inert form fell   
with the gracefulness of a sack full of potatoes. Tuxedo Kamen appeared next   
to it and quickly threw it over his shoulder.  
  
"Sorry." he said, "But he's coming with us."  
  
"He's got him! Cover him!" came Mars' voice.  
  
Eron and Arlakk would have loved to stop him, but their efforts in   
getting through Sailor Saturn weren't giving any fruits.   
  
"Damn this girl!" the Necromancer cursed, "Eron, cover me while I   
cast!"  
  
In spite of not liking getting orders from his rival, Eron obeyed   
and kept on shooting while Arlakk summoned his power. Saturn, who remained   
at the defensive so the other could get a chance to draw back, braced   
herself.  
Arlakk finished his summoning and took his scepter with both hands,   
the top pointing towards the Senshi of Silence as if it was a rifle. A   
shimmering multicolored glow covered the scepter, which was Eron's sign to   
move out of the way.  
  
"Prismatic Ray!!" the Master of Tomorrow shouted.  
  
"Silent Wall!" Saturn countered.  
  
It sounded as if two bolts of lighting had managed to strike each   
other, defying the laws of physics. The invader's ray had been blocked by   
the defender's technique, but both kept on pushing harder, trying to subdue   
their adversary. The amount of power was of such magnitude that the entire   
building began to crack from every corner. However, none of the two   
contenders looked with any intention to quit.  
The result of the match came with a big bang... literally speaking.   
The two energies produced a huge explosion, sending everyone, and everything,   
flying backwards. The building collapsed, and the defenders were fortunate   
enough the be near the door, which saved them from being buried alive.   
Unlike the two Masters of Tomorrow and the remaining lesser demons.  
  
"Is it over?" Moon asked hopefully, "Are they dead?"  
  
"They have to be." Neptune answered, "No one could've survived that."  
  
"You came after all." Mercury pointed out to the three Outers,   
"Thanks. We wouldn't have done it without you."  
  
"Humph... Your friend put aside, we have an obligation to protect   
the princess." Uranus declared, "Besides, someone insisted that we came."  
  
With those last words, Haruka gave a fast look at Hotaru, who by   
that time was looking a little embarrassed with her hands crossed behind her   
back and still holding her glave. The little girl's determination in   
rescuing Trunks left her two guardians with little choice on the matter.   
Now Sailor Saturn had entered the fight, but at least two enemies were down.  
  
"I don't want to rush you or anything." came Tuxedo Kamen's voice,   
"But I believe that we have a body to deliver and may I remind everyone that   
time is the essence. Besides... Trunks is kinda heavy."  
  
"Right! Let's go!" Moon quickly ordered.   
  
**********  
  
Makoto was lying on her bed. Asleep... maybe. Ever since she took   
the Essence Sphere inside her, things felt odd. She couldn't force herself   
to stay awake, but she wasn't really asleep either. It felt as if she were   
stuck somewhere between the two. A strange feeling crawled all along her   
body. There were times when she felt as if she was living some else's life.   
Trunks' life. Although it all became blurry when she "woke up": just like a   
dream, only with this strange sensation of dejá vu. Her eyes played tricks   
on her as well. Placing her in an unknown land or situation. Then it all   
changed back to the ceiling she was staring at.  
  
The sound of several footsteps running towards her entered the   
apartment. Another illusion maybe? She didn't know what to believe anymore.   
Usagi's worried face in front of the rest of her friends told her   
that this was real all right. Fortunately, her hearing hadn't left in search   
of another illusion and was able to translate the words coming out of the   
blonde's lips. The Essence Sphere. They wanted her to take Essence Sphere   
out so they could put it back inside Trunks.   
Trunks... they had succeeded. They brought him back.   
  
A yellow glow came out of her stomach.   
Pain.   
The Essence Sphere was coming out on its own. Maybe it felt in some   
way that its real body was near. Makoto certainly didn't gave it any orders   
to come out. Mainly because she wouldn't know how to do it. But she didn't   
keep it from doing so once it started. Was this pain what everyone felt   
while giving birth?   
  
Then... it all became clear. The confusion she been submerged in   
faded away like smoke. She still felt weak and unable to move though, but at   
least she felt conscious of her surrounding again. Usagi grabbed the   
precious object with both hands and took it towards Trunks' body which had   
been laid down on the visitor's bed and wrapped like a present by Tuxedo   
Kamen's cape.  
  
When the Sphere entered the body, everyone waited for something to   
happen. Ami quickly pull out her visor and scanned the hybrid's body, until   
a small smile from the corner of her mouth pointed out that everything   
turned out okay.   
  
"Is... is he all right?" came Makoto's weak voice.  
  
"He's alive, Mako-chan." the blue haired girl informed, "And it's   
all thanks to you."  
  
**********  
  
The pieces of rubble began to move, and with a final effort, Eron   
broke free of his stone prison. He had managed to insert the DNA sample of   
the Howler in his hi-tech wrist seconds before the ceiling came down on him,   
and it was fortunate that he did, otherwise he wouldn't have had the   
necessary resistance to survive the cave in or the strength to get out of   
the ruins.   
Next to him, Arlakk painfully reincorporated himself. His left arm   
was seriously wounded. Maybe even broken, but he was still alive.   
  
That girl had blocked one his most powerful spells. Single-handedly.   
  
Not surprisingly, the defender had already left, probably assuming   
that they had died with the explosion. Another battle lost. Arlakk knew who   
wasn't going to be happy about this.  
  
"They're gone." he said.  
  
"Oh, really? I didn't noticed." Eron responded sarcastically and quite   
frustrated as well.  
  
"And what exactly do you plan to tell our lord?" he asked, "I doubt   
he'll forgive you for this. Not a second time."  
  
"I doubt he'll forgive *us*, kimosabi." the scientist declared,   
"We're both responsible here. Plus, a new Senshi joined in as well."  
  
"Then let's leave." his rival stated, "We have nothing more to do   
here."  
  
  
  
End of chapter 12  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
(*) O-minutes means Outside minutes. Time in Dominia flows differently from   
Juuban. Mostly because Kyristan is the one controlling it. He can extend or   
shorten it as he sees fit. Yet he can't control the time stream in Juuban.   
In other words, he can make time last longer in his world, but the Outside   
world will be unaffected, at least not in absolute terms, only in a relative   
way.  
Example: if Kyristan wants things to unfold faster at Juuban, he'll make   
the time in Dominia slower. Like that, time in the Outside world shall pass   
faster. Usually, Kyristan makes the time in Dominia go faster than the world   
he is about to invade, therefore giving his servants an edge so they can   
scheme with enough time in their hands.  
  
See you in chapter 13....  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	14. Chapter 13

Dragon Ball Z/ Sailor Moon/ Ranma ½ fanfic.  
  
"Past, Present and Uncertainty."  
  
By Julian Soullard (e-mail: jnsoullard@hotmail.com)  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
  
Chapter 13:   
Decision making process: Second predicament   
  
  
  
His first thought was that the stairs in front of him led to Hikawa   
Shrine, but when he went up, he realized that he had arrived at an entirely   
different temple. More or less the same size than Rei's, although it looked   
a little older. Actually... the word 'darker' seemed more fitting for its   
description. The place itself wasn't really ugly or evil looking, but   
something in the air made it all feel apprehensive. Almost as if something   
bad had happened here.  
  
How exactly did he get here in the first place?  
  
Trunks didn't know, but something deep within told him to enter the   
temple and clear his doubts. Once he opened the doors he discovered no one   
inside. There was an altar at the end of the room with some burning incense   
escorting its sides. When the Saiyajin hybrid approached it, the familiar   
name which written in it echoed through his heart.  
  
Kino...  
  
Not the Kino he knew. The picture of a middle age couple placed at   
the center of the altar clearly proved that Makoto wasn't the one who had   
passed away. Trunks felt a sudden relief after figuring that out, but then   
began to analyze the picture some more.  
Kino... could this couple be Makoto's...  
  
The unexpected sound of tears interrupted that line of thought. It   
was coming from behind the altar. Trunks slowly peeked from above, careful   
not to startle whoever was the cause of such sorrow.   
A little girl, no more than eight years old was sitting in a fetal   
position, her back pressed against the altar and face buried between her   
knees. Apparently, she didn't notice when Trunks entered the temple or   
approached her.   
  
"Hey, kid. Are you okay?" he asked, only to realize seconds later   
how stupid that question sounded. Of course she wasn't okay! Otherwise   
she wouldn't be crying.  
  
The girl lifted her tear flooded eyes to meet his own. Trunks' heart   
jumped. That was Makoto. Younger, no doubt about it, but it was definitively   
her.   
  
"What am I going to do now?" the girl manage to ask, "I'm all alone."  
  
Regardless of being someone not too open to physical contact, at   
least not in this sort of way, Trunks tried to comfort the younger version   
of his ex-girlfriend by taking her between his arms. Makoto offered no   
resistance at all, actually, the strong grip of her hands on his jacket   
showed that she needed that kind of gesture right now.   
  
"I miss them..."  
  
"I know." he replied.  
  
**********  
  
Things had turned out all right fortunately. Makoto was no one to   
differ on that. Even though Trunk's body had been stolen, her friends had   
done a great job in recovering it. And the sacrifice she had perform in   
order to keep his Sphere in a safe place had worked as well without causing   
her nothing far more serious than just momentary pain.   
However, two days had passed since Trunk's Essence Sphere had been   
returned to his body and the hybrid still remained asleep. What if he never   
woke up? By taking the Sphere inside of her could she had in some way   
altered it? No. Ami told her that Trunks' Essence Sphere just needed time   
to readjust to its old environment. So, until that happened, he would be   
staying as a guest in Makoto's apartment.   
  
[Talk about ironic...] she thought.  
  
So, what would happen next? What would happen once he'd wake up?   
Would things change? Would things get worse?   
  
She wasn't sure what to think anymore. Things had turned so   
confusing between the two of them. So many things, so little time in which   
they occurred. Nothing seemed clear anymore. Even in her own head there was   
a big debate going on between most of Makoto's emotions.   
She wanted to be with Trunks again. Back to the way they were three   
years ago... or eight... whatever... But she was scared too. What if Trunks   
didn't feel the same for her anymore? Things seemed to be that way since he   
decided to remain distant. But he saved her, didn't he? So... what did that   
mean? How should she see all that has been happening? And besides, could   
this be a long term relationship? Would he leave again?   
  
Makoto scrubbed the kitchen table for the hundred time already. All   
these emotions fighting against each other had her so tense that she needed   
something to do in order to keep busy.   
With a heavy sigh, she took a seat and brought her hands to her   
forehead, as if it could somehow help to put some order in her mind. When   
the doorbell rang, she jolted up, startled. Once she regained her composure,   
she went to open. Rei and Hotaru were on the other side.   
  
"Hi, Mako-chan!" Hotaru declared joyfully. Rei on the other hand   
just waved and forced a small smile.  
  
That was another thing that needed closure. This long lasting anger   
the brunette felt towards the Shinto priestess had to be solved too. She   
gestured them to come inside.  
  
"Is Trunks-san awake?" the little purple eye girl asked rather   
forwardly.  
  
"I'm afraid not, Hotaru-chan." she told her.  
  
"Oh..." she said a little sad, but then switched back to happy mode,   
"Well, it's okay. I'm sure he'll wake up soon. You'll see."  
  
"Yes... I know he will." Makoto declared confidently, "So, what   
brings you two here?"  
  
"We bumped into each other on our way here." Rei answered.  
  
"Actually, I was heading home. I just tagged along to see if I'd   
catch Trunks-san awake." Hotaru informed. "But in any case, I guess I should   
be leaving now. I just wanted to see if everything was all right."  
  
"Okay, thanks for the visit, Hotaru-chan." the brunette stated,   
"I'll let you know the second he's awake and tell him you came to visit."  
  
"Okay, bye then."  
  
"Bye."  
  
The door closed and now there was only the two of them left. Well...   
three if you counted Trunks, but right now he wasn't awake in order to be   
part of the upcoming discussion.  
  
"I brought Trunks some clothes." Rei began, as she showed her host   
a plastic bag, "I thought he might need them once he wakes up."  
  
"His clothes? How did you get inside his apartment?"   
  
"I... know where he hides his spare key." she answered somewhat   
uncomfortable.  
  
"Oh..."   
  
That was the kind of 'Oh' people don't like to hear. It may not   
seem like much, but given the right tone and strength, a simple 'Oh' can   
say a lot of things. In this particular case, it didn't show any signs of   
happiness. More like jealousy and reproach instead. Rei decided to clear   
things out before it became too late.  
  
"Mako-chan..." she began, "Nothing happened between Trunks and I,   
if that's what worries you."  
  
"I know nothing happened." the brunette told her, "I know you too   
well. And that's not what bothers me."  
  
"Then what is it?" she asked, "You've barely even spoke to me and   
when you do it's not to give me any compliments. I know I did wrong by   
holding this secret, but you've got to try to put yourself in my shoes."  
  
"Don't you see?" Makoto explained, "Everything has changed   
compared to three years ago. Everything. Trunks may have been my boyfriend   
in the end, but before that, he was my friend. We were inseparable. He told   
me everything. And now look at us. We can't even look at each other... and   
I hate that... I hate that everything between us has changed. I hate the   
fact that everything is turning out wrong. And... I hate the fact that he   
went to you for help instead of me. I know this sounds stupid, but I can't   
help feeling this whenever I remember that not only I lost the man I loved,   
but a friend as well."  
  
"It doesn't sound stupid, Mako-chan." the priestess pointed out, "I   
only wished that things would've turned out okay since it all started. But   
you know what?.. I think this may be a good time for you two to straight   
things out."  
  
"I know... but I'm scared." she declared, "What if things get even   
worse?"  
  
"Don't worry. I'm sure things will turn out for the best." Rei   
encouraged, "I can't speak for Trunks, since I'm not him, but I'm sure he's   
as worried about this than you are. And I'm sure he wants to solve this too.   
It's just a matter of talking to him."  
  
"Yeah... I guess you're right... thanks."   
  
"So... are we okay now?"  
  
"Sure... sorry for giving you such a rough time these last few   
days." Makoto apologized, "Can you forgive me?"  
  
"Sure I can." she stated with a smile, "It comes with the territory.   
Forgive and forget."  
  
"By the way, is that why you brought Hotaru with you?"  
  
"Well... yeah... Partially at least. She was worried about Trunks   
though, but I could've used someone who you wouldn't slam the door in front   
of their noses next to me in case you were still angry."  
  
"Smart move." she chuckled, "If she hadn't been with you, I probably   
would have done that."  
  
**********  
  
Ranma was taking deep breaths while he pressed his back against a   
wall. A beam of light, coming from outside the building passed next to him,   
trying to reveal his presence. The martial artist held his breath. After a   
couple of seconds that felt like hours, he could hear the sound of his   
hunters leaving somewhere else, probably to keep looking for him. Ranma   
resumed breathing.  
  
It really did feel as if the entire city was out to get him. He'd   
been so concentrated in not getting caught that he didn't even get the   
chance to think on what would he do to get out of this mess. Now seemed a   
time as good as any to ponder on that.   
Maybe he could find another one of those portal things to get back   
to Earth. Problem was, where to find one and how to make it work. Recent   
events proved that the locals wouldn't kindly point him towards the nearest   
exit. And there was something else too. The reason he got mixed up in this   
mess was because he sought answers about the Masters of Tomorrow. Going   
back home sounded like a really good plan, but getting something out of   
this trip would be even better. Some sort of information, weapon or   
something that could somehow help Trunks and the Senshi to kick these guys   
back to where they came from.  
  
Considering that standing still wouldn't get him anywhere, Ranma   
decided to inspect the building he was now in. It felt rather odd... he did   
remember that there were a lot of robots inside when he first came, but now   
the place seemed deserted. Well, it didn't matter. It would make his   
investigation a lot easier if he didn't had to hide from the building's   
staff.   
  
Much like the first building he visited, this place seemed like the   
wet dream of any Sci-Fi fan. The place was huge and appeared to be some sort   
of fully automated factory. Just the place to find something juicy, Ranma   
thought.   
After walking through the corridors for a while, the new Son Goku   
ended up inside the main building area. His eyes kept on going up as he   
witnessed the colossal space ship in front of him. He couldn't tell from   
where he stood, but that thing seemed bigger than all of Nerima, and it's   
black color gave it a certain death seeking demeanor. That and the really   
big plasma canons it had, of course. More impressive was the fact that there   
wasn't just one space ship, but an entire fleet. Although the first one was   
by far the biggest ship of all.  
  
"Oh, man..." he said, "With this kind of firepower they can take   
the entire Earth in no time. But why haven't they done so already?"  
  
A few computers were set not too far away from the ships. Ranma went   
to them to see if he could find out something useful. Even though computers   
weren't his specialty, you didn't need a degree in programming to see the   
contents on the screen.   
  
[Project Dark Snowfall?] he inquired as he raised an eyebrow,   
[What's this all about?]  
  
He tried to make as much sense as possible out of the diagrams and   
data he found, but an unexpected guest interrupted his research. Ranma   
didn't sense him, nor hear him, and if it weren't for his reflection on the   
computer screen he was looking, he wouldn't have known either. And more   
importantly, he wouldn't have been able to move out of the way as the   
stranger's huge fist came on to him, crashing against the computer instead   
of the intruder.  
  
The martial artist flipped his way out of reach. Now he could see   
his adversary properly. He was big... quite big. And strong too. Bald,   
square jaw, and dark eyes that showed no emotions. His uniform consisted of   
a complete black and tight clothing, similar to the one some of the Masters   
of Tomorrow wore.   
The man's cold stare turned towards him.  
  
"I'm just taking a wild guess here, but you're not the janitor, are   
you?" Ranma joked, but his opponent didn't brake a smile and decided to   
attack instead.  
  
Faster than Ranma had anticipated. The man's muscular body didn't   
hamper any of his moves. Regardless of being rather fast himself, the new   
Son Goku had been forced to remain at the defensive. Each blow whistled next   
to him, but that was just the beginning. If things didn't change soon, he'd   
be in trouble.   
An opening. Ranma didn't waste this opportunity and send his fist   
right against the man's side. A 'crunch' noise came out as the martial   
artist's hand broke once it hit. Ranma quickly draw back, clutching his   
fingers in pain.   
  
Now it was him who left an opening and the big man took advantage   
of it, getting a more satisfying result than his opponent. The strength of   
the blow had no peers in Ranma's mental fighting archive, which was rather   
big. He was sent flying backwards once hit, braking through a wall and   
falling on his back surrounded by rocky debris. The pain he felt in his hand   
had now gown along his arm. Probably broken now as well.  
  
"Okay... you asked for it, light bulb head!" he declared as he   
painfully got to his feet and extended his still functional arm, "Eat this!!   
Mokuo Takabisha!!"  
  
He didn't even move when the blast approached him. His sensors   
informed that his external armor could take the hit without a problem   
instead of wasting energy to raise a shield. There was a bit of an uproar   
once the blast connected, making some pavement to crack and dust to lift,   
but other than that, the android was completely unharmed.   
Once the dust clear off, the intruder had disappeared.   
  
"Computer." the man said out loud, "This is Jarek. Pin point current   
intruder location."  
  
"Intruder located in sector S-3." spoke a robotic voice coming from   
the roof, "Authorization to initiate security lock up sequence."  
  
"Affirmative."  
  
  
Ranma flew with all of his remaining strength. With only one arm he   
knew he wouldn't be able to put much of a fight. Time to blow this joint.   
The means to do it would be interesting to know, though.  
  
The sound of heavy iron doors slamming shut approached him from   
behind. The martial artist made a quick turn into the first room he found   
before getting trapped in the hallway. The last door closed seconds before   
he entered what appeared to be a small control room.  
  
[Okay, Ranma... how are you going to pull yourself out of this one   
now?] he thought.   
  
[Go to the control panel.] said a second voice in his head.  
  
"What?? Who's that??" he asked jolting up.  
  
[Do not be worried. I'm on your side.] said the voice, [My name is   
Sailor Pluto.]  
  
"A Sailor Senshi?" he asked, "Here? Where are you? How are you doing   
this?"   
  
[That's not important right now.] Pluto clear out, [You have little   
time before they come looking for you. Go to the control panel so you can   
use one of the portals.]  
  
"Do you know how to make these things work?"  
  
[In a broad sense, yes.] she explained, [As a Guardian of Time I'm   
able to sense probability which can affect the future. In this case, I can   
use these powers to determine the code which will open a portal. I just need   
some time.]  
  
"And why are you doing this exactly?"  
  
[I need you to come where I'm being held prisoner.]  
  
"You scratch my back and I scratch yours." Ranma considered, "Sounds   
fair enough."  
  
The silence in the room was suddenly interrupted by a low, almost   
indistinguishable, sound. Like the hissing sound of a snake. Ranma took his   
eyes upwards and saw in horror how a pink gas of some sort made its way   
inside the room through the ventilation shafts.  
  
"Er.. Pluto..." he began, "I don't mean to rush you, but could you   
hurry? They're pumping some sort of gas into the room... and I don't think   
it's perfume."  
  
[I'm almost done. Press the following code.]   
  
Ranma followed every instruction sent through the mind link he had   
with the captive Senshi and pressed the according buttons with typewriting   
accuracy with his only arm that could do the job. The gas also worked   
hurriedly in filling the room.   
With a last push of a button, a swirling void of purple light formed   
in front of the martial artist's eyes. Ranma took a dive in without thinking   
it twice.  
  
**********  
  
His eyes met an unfamiliar ceiling once they opened and adjusted to   
the light. It took a few seconds for Trunks to shake out the confusion out   
of his head. He just woke up and felt the world's biggest hangover, which   
suggested to make slow and easy moves for the time being.   
  
He was in a bed.  
Bed? This wasn't his bed. How did he get here? And... this room...   
this wasn't his room either. It was too... girlish. The Saiyajin hybrid   
blinked a few times, trying to put some order in his mind. How did he get   
here? He tried to take a few steps back in time to explain his current   
situation, but there seemed to be a gap in his memories. He was talking to   
Eron and then... then... Hey, wait a minute, where did his clothes go?!   
Trunks took a look under his sheets and his eyes widen. That wasn't his   
underwear!! Heck, that couldn't even be considered as underwear!!  
  
Now he was officially worried. And he became even more worried when   
he realized that he remembered this room. This was Makoto's apartment.  
  
[Oh my God...] he thought.  
  
He just woke up, naked, with no clear memories of what happened.  
  
[Oh... my... God...]  
  
Not to mention that he woke up naked in a girl's bed and with a big   
hangover.  
  
[Oh... my... GOD!!]  
  
And that girl just happened to be Makoto Kino.  
  
[OH MY GHAAAWWWWWWWWDDDDD!!!]  
  
Yes... Trunks was now officially worried. Because, when you lack   
information, your imagination tends to fill in the gaps. And given the   
circumstances, Trunks' imagination took some interesting assumptions.  
  
[Did we... I mean... did I... and her... did we...] he tried to   
explain.   
  
He took a deep breath. He had to think this straight. Okay... what   
did he knew? Last thing he remembered was talking to Eron, or making him   
talk actually, in order to find out what were his plans. Then, the Senshi   
appeared. Some Raiders showed up as well as a welcome committee. Then came   
the fight, but Trunks didn't take his eyes away from Eron. He did remember   
that Eternal Sailor Moon accidentally discovered the Masters' of Tomorrow   
hideout and the Outer Senshi went towards it. Then Eron started teasing him   
and... and he sent a blast from his ring towards Makoto. Yes! That's what   
happened! He ran like crazy to get her out of the way, but... but... what   
happened then?  
  
[Oh, no! Is she all right?]  
  
He quickly got out of bed but clumsily fell to the ground. He still   
felt disorientated and a little weak. Not to mention very naked. However,   
regardless of that, he grabbed the bed's sheets to cover himself the best he   
could and went for the door. His hand was inches away from the doorknob when   
Makoto on the other side opened it instead, probably concerned from the   
noise Trunks made when he fell. She felt startled to find him so close to   
her... physically speaking of course, and Trunks felt the same way. You   
could see it in their faces.   
  
"Are you all right?" was the first thing Trunks said.   
  
"Er... yes.. of course..." she responded a little confused, "How...   
are you doing?"  
  
"I... I... don't know." he confessed, still disorientated, "What...   
what happened? I remember a fight, but then..."  
  
"Here, sit down." she told him, as she guided him next to a chair,   
"You've been out for two days, your body must be feeling weak."  
  
"Two days? I've been sleeping for two days? Why... why did I slept   
for two days?"   
  
"You don't remember what happened?"  
  
"I... remember Eron shooting at you, but then... I don't know..." he   
explained, "It's all weird. It's as if I've been living in someone else's   
memories. Like some weird dream."  
  
Makoto's eyes showed a brief moment of surprise. That was exactly   
the way she felt when she took his Essence Sphere inside her body, with the   
only difference that she had been conscious, more or less, through out the   
entire dream sequence. Could this be some sort of collateral effect?   
  
"You put yourself in front of me and took the blast." she pointed   
out, not without some degree of shyness, "Your Essence Sphere was taken out   
of your body."  
  
"What?" he asked confused.   
  
The girl explained exactly how everything happened, filling in the   
blanks from what the other girls told her while she guarded Trunks' Sphere.   
Her guest still looked dazed with such revelation. Especially when learning   
the sacrifice she did for him. Nevertheless, he avoided eye contact with her   
in every occasion, but paid close attention to the story.  
Once Makoto finished her recital, a short paused followed. Now that   
they had gone through all of the 'professional' stuff, there was only a more   
personal matter left to be discussed, and bringing the first words seemed to   
be the main problem.   
  
"Makoto... I..." Trunks began, "I'd like to thank you for what you   
did."  
  
"It's okay." she answered, trying to look calm with the subject,   
"You saved me, so I guess it was the least I could do in return."  
  
"Yes... well thanks anyway. That and for letting me stay here till   
I recovered."  
  
"It's no problem at all, really." she declared, "Are you feeling   
better? I began to worry that maybe I might have done something to your   
Essence Sphere by... well... you know..."  
  
"I... guess I'm okay. I just feel a little woozy, but nothing   
serious." he reassured her, "By the way... Do you think I could use your   
shower? I think I need one after two days of constant sleep."  
  
"Oh, sure, sure. Help yourself. Rei brought you some clothes, by the   
way."  
  
Looks like that talk she'd been waiting would have to wait a little   
more after all.   
  
**********  
  
The Lord's tower was the source of horrible painful screams.   
Everyone in Dominia knew that Kyristan could forgive, but there were some   
errors that not even he could allow to go unpunished.   
Eron and Arlakk were floating in mid air, engulfed in a purple   
inferno. This being the reward for losing Saiya-man's Essence Sphere. They   
wouldn't die, that was certain, for their Lord still needed them, but the   
pain and suffering Kyristan put them through was by far worse than a simple   
death. And a lot slower too.   
  
The two servants crashed against the floor once their master had   
considered that the punishment had been enough. The dark flames disappeared   
as fast as they first came, leaving only painful souvenirs in the two   
Masters of Tomorrow. Slowly, the sorcerer and the scientist got up. Sorine,   
who had just stood there and watch, didn't even considered helping them out.  
  
"Needless to say that I'm very disappointed in the two of you."   
Kyristan declared, "It appears you're not taking this mission seriously   
enough."  
  
The two servants remained silent in a bowing position. What could   
they actually say to defend themselves? Failure was not an excuse anymore.   
Kyristan got up from his throne, his huge frame forming a shadow on top of   
the three Masters of Tomorrow.   
  
"So... let's review the situation." he began, "We have no Outpost,   
no Essence Sphere, a new defender against us, plus an intruder who found a   
way to enter my world. This does not bode well. Now... could someone please   
give me some good news?"   
  
"Security shall be tighten even more, my Lord." Sorine began, "We   
assume the intruder entered Dominia through one of the Outpost's portals.   
To prevent this from happening again, we are currently using new 'one-way'   
portals. We shall also prepare a new Outpost with out-most discretion to   
keep the defenders uninformed of our activities."  
  
"And what about today's intruder?"   
  
"The intruder had been identified as the former identity of Super   
Saiya-man: Son Goku." the android explained, "However, according to the data   
I collected from the Sentries' memory banks during the fight, this   
particular Son Goku is significantly weaker than the original and uses a   
different fighting style during battle. It is clear that he is an impostor."  
  
"Impostor or not, he got into Dominia. And I don't like that."   
Kyristan noted, "What happened once he entered your facilities, Sorine?"  
  
"I decided to evacuate all the staff and send in Jarek to deal with   
the intruder." she explained.  
  
"But he got away."  
  
"Correct. The intruder used a portal to escape. The means he used   
to activate the portal are still unexplained to us. Only I know the codes   
to activate those in my research center."  
  
"Our intruder received some external help." Kyristan pointed out,   
"I underestimated Sailor Pluto's powers. Even when I imprisoned her, she   
managed to assist our visitor. Her presence from the Gates of Time has   
disappeared now. It is now obvious that she led this new Son Goku to her in   
order to free her."  
  
"We can still go after them." Sorine declared, "I can personally   
supervise the mission this time. Knowing this Son Goku's powers, it shall   
not be difficult for me to overpower him."  
  
"Forget about them." her lord said, "Given her actual state, Sailor   
Pluto won't offer much trouble. Both of them are now probably lost in the   
streams of time. More importantly, I'd like to know more about this new   
defender."  
  
Kyristan directed his flaming eyes towards Arlakk. This was gesture   
enough for the sorcerer to know that he had permission to speak. He got up.  
  
"This girl who calls herself Sailor Saturn is by far the strongest   
Senshi among the eight we've fought." he informed, "She is second to Super   
Saiya-man when it comes to energy blasts and her protection techniques are   
quite strong as well. Even my strongest magical blast gave inconclusive   
results during our short match. I plan to put her mind power to the test in   
future encounters. However, I believe that she might not show up often."  
  
"Yes... It's painfully obvious that the defenders know we were   
studying them and were saving their strongest cards till the nick of time."   
Kyristan commented, "Both Eron and you were lucky to come out alive."  
  
"Yes... we were." Arlakk validated, "However, I'm already   
considering several possible spells that will result a lot more effective   
if I meet her again."  
  
"And what about Saiya-man, Eron?" the Lord asked, "What do *you*   
have to report?"  
  
This was getting a little intense for the scientist's stress level.   
Two lectures in the same day with big probabilities of ending is something   
fatal for his health.   
  
"The defenders showed up without the Essence Sphere at the meeting."   
he began, "I guess their behavior is a lot more risky than I first though.   
Considering that, Arlakk tried to neutralize them with some help from his   
lesser demons so we could get their Spheres instead. We had everything under   
control until those Outer Senshi, Saturn among them, showed up. Saturn kept   
us busy while the rest went for Saiya-man's body. It all came in the end   
with a big bang... literally."  
  
"Is that all you have to say of your failure?"  
  
He was getting special attention, although not the one he liked the   
most. If he didn't share any good news soon, Lord Kyristan might consider   
taking him out of the mission permanently... and in a very unpleasant manner.   
Fortunately, the scientist didn't bring just bad news. Out of the pocket of   
his robe, he pulled out a small flask containing a strange liquid.  
  
"Actually, there's something more." he went on, "The moment   
Saiya-man's Sphere was taken out, I couldn't help to notice that his power   
had vanished. If that power had been granted to him by some exterior force,   
I assumed he would've kept his 'form', shall we call it, regardless of being   
unconscious. This made me believe that his power came from him. Or more   
exactly, from what he is."  
  
"Explain yourself, Eron."  
  
"Yes, my Lord." Eron continued, "In other words, I think Saiya-man   
belongs to another dimension entirely and that his power can be studied if   
we analyze his genes. I took the liberty of taking blood and tissue samples   
out of his body while he was our guest in Dominia. My staff is already   
studying the samples."  
  
Kyristan couldn't hide a smirk on his face.   
  
"You plan to use his genes as a new weapon?" he asked, although it   
seemed more like a statement, "You want to use his genes with your DNA   
assimilation technique in order to have his exact powers?"  
  
"Yes, my Lord." the scientist confirmed, "If my theory is correct,   
I will be able to copy his exact strength, speed, stamina and special   
abilities."  
  
"Very well, it seems that this battle didn't turned out as a   
complete waste after all." the master of Dominia declared, "It looks like we   
have a busy schedule ahead of us. Listen to my words, for this is what I   
command. Sorine, I want you to supervise the construction of our new Outpost   
with all the precautions that are needed. Arlakk, finding Sailor Saturn's   
weakness is now your priority. Do all the research you need, use all the   
spells you consider helpful, send Delif into battle if it's of any use, but   
see to it that this girl's Essence Sphere will eventually be in my hands   
along with the others. You are still in charge of the mission for the time   
being. Eron, proceed with your investigation on Saiya-man's DNA. I'll be   
expecting a full report of your progress every five days."  
  
The three servants bowed in acknowledgment. After that, all where   
dismissed and sent back to their operation centers where they hastily   
started working on their new orders. Kyristan took a seat back in his throne   
and gestured the dome to open up, revealing Dominia in all its splendor. His   
fiery gaze traveled through all of his domain.  
  
"Try to rest now, defenders." he said, "Rest now, while we   
reorganize our strategy. Because once we're settled, you'll never get to   
rest again."  
  
**********  
  
The water stopped pouring once Trunks turned off the faucets. The   
last of his black hair dye he'd been wearing dripped down the drain.   
Whatever substance Eron had him inside that tank seemed to dilute his   
'not-much-of-a-disguise', giving his hair its original purple color. But   
then again, there wasn't a reason to keep his disguise now that the girls   
knew about him, was there?   
  
[So now what?] he thought as he looked at himself in the mirror,   
[What are you suppose to do now, Trunks?]  
  
The storm had passed but not all problems were solved. His biggest   
problem so far remained: What was going to happen with Makoto Kino? He   
couldn't just say thanks and leave. He had to solve this now. He should've   
done it since the first day he got here.  
  
"But you couldn't face her then, could you?" he whispered, "You   
were too scared of what could happen that you prefer hiding behind a mask   
instead. You coward."  
  
Losing a loved one was the hardest thing Trunks had to go through.   
Either because of death or by departure. And now that he gave it some   
thought about it, it also explained a lot of things. He feared hurting   
Makoto again, but he feared hurting himself as well. If he fell in love one   
more time, he wouldn't be able to bare the pain of losing her yet a second   
time when his time in this dimension would be up.   
But that didn't matter anymore. He just couldn't go on living with   
that kind of fear. He'd been doing that for far too long now, and that's why   
his previous relationships didn't work out. It was because of him. Because   
he didn't want them to work. If he broke a relationship, then it was because   
he wanted it to, not because fate had taken an unilateral decision against   
him like in the old days.  
  
"But you can't keep this up." he said, "Some prince of Saiyajin   
*you* turned out to be. Fleeing and turning your back when this is the girl   
who have brought you happiness."  
  
He took one last stare into the mirror. Maybe it wasn't too late to   
try to fix this. God knows what would happen from this point on, but he   
wouldn't run away from it any more.  
  
  
The door to the bathroom opened and Trunks came out fully dressed.   
Makoto was spotted near the kitchen. She just hung up the phone.  
  
"I just told the girls you're all right." she explained.   
  
"Okay."  
  
"By the way, there's this too." she pointed out, as she took out a   
wrist watch out of her pocket, "Rei managed to save this during the battle.   
I think it's where you keep your suite, although you don't have one right   
now, so there's only your clothes, which you already have and... [Great now   
I'm babbling like an idiot!]"  
  
"Thank you." Trunks said, as he reached into her hand. They could   
both feel a warm sensation sliding between their fingers, "Makoto..."  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"I... I think I owe you an apology." the hybrid began, "Things   
have... well... been rather difficult because of me in these last few days."  
  
"[That's a way to put it...] Yes, well... there has been a lot of   
things going on."  
  
"I really should've done this earlier." he said ashamed, "I guess I   
didn't knew how to deal with it, but I'd like to try and talk about it   
now... if you want to, that is."  
  
"Yes. I want to." she stated with butterflies in her stomach. She   
was also showing a remarkable interest at looking at her own shoes.  
  
"Okay... here goes..." Trunks declared as he took a deep breath,   
"The reason I've been acting the way I have is because... well... I didn't   
knew how to face the situation, and more importantly, I didn't knew how to   
face you because of our... past. I guess that... well... if I remained   
invisible to your eye, I thought I might have pulled this off without   
causing much of a big deal."  
  
"Yes... I guessed as much."   
  
"And... I... well... I don't know exactly how to say this... I'm   
not really good at saying stuff like this."  
  
"I... understand." Makoto interrupted, "It's been very confusing   
for me too. All these feelings coming at the same time..."  
  
"That's what I'm talking about." Trunks went on, "I... I think I   
still have... feelings for you. I... I know this isn't right... for you   
or for me, since I won't stay here long, but..."  
  
"I... think I still have feelings for you too." she added, and   
her visitor couldn't help to look surprise, "I know this sounds stupid.   
We've both changed since the last time you were here. But still... I   
can't just pretend that these feelings don't exist. But I... I... I   
don't..."  
  
Confusion reigned supreme in this conversation. It was obvious   
that both individuals were still attracted to each other. However, the   
mere thought of ending up broken hearted like last time sent some   
unwanted disturbance into their souls. Trunks tentatively approached his   
hand towards her shoulder, hoping not to scare her. It felt as a strange   
relief once he touched her.  
  
"Makoto... I... I'm sorry. Hurting you was the first thing I   
wanted to avoid, and it ended up being the first thing I did." he   
continued, "Listen... I... I don't know how the future will come out, I   
don't know how long will I stay or how all of this craziness will end...   
but... still... I'd like to try to work this out. At least try to make   
it work."  
  
"I... yes..." Makoto declared honestly, yet fearful as   
well, "I want to find out as well ."  
  
"Then let's take this one step at a time." he suggested, and   
she gently lifted her gaze to meet his, "If this is the right thing for   
us, then let's do it. Makot... Mako-chan... even if I'm destined to leave   
again, I don't want to live my days here ignoring you. And I   
definitively don't want to live the rest of my life wondering how things   
might have turned out."  
  
"So... how do we do this?" she asked, "Do we go on a date and all   
that?"  
  
"Sounds like a reasonable first step." The time traveler stated,   
"Is that okay with you?"  
  
"Yes. Yes, I think it is."   
  
"Would you like to go and grab something to eat now?"  
  
"Now?" she asked a little surprised, "I... well... I look horrible   
right now. I..."  
  
"Mako-chan..."   
  
"I mean, this is our first date." She went on, not listening to him,   
"I should put on something nice."  
  
"Mako-chan..."  
  
"And my hair is a mess too." She added, still immersed in her own   
preoccupations, "Maybe I should go and get a hair cut, and I need some makeup   
too, and a shower, brush my teeth, and..."  
  
"Mako-chan." He insisted one more time, this time getting the   
attention he was looking for.  
  
"Yes?" she asked shyly.  
  
"You look great right now." He explained, "You'd look great even in   
a paper bag. Really."   
  
"I... I..." she babbled as her cheeks turned red, "But what about   
taking it one step at a time?"  
  
"Don't worry. This way it's more... natural." He explained,   
"Besides... I really need to eat something now. I haven't had anything for   
two days, remember?"  
  
Her eyes widen for a second, then her gaze soften and her lips curved   
into a smile. A smile that time didn't erase from Trunks' memory, for it was   
one of the most beautiful things he ever saw. Maybe not everything had   
changed after all.   
  
"Okay then." She began, "Let's fill that stomach of yours. I know   
a good place we can go to."  
  
She grabbed her purse and Trunks opened the door for her. Yes...   
taking it one step at a time would be good for now. Maybe later things   
could return to the way they were. Both thunder Senshi and Saiyajin warrior   
hoped so. But for now, they wouldn't rush things. They still had a lot of   
catching up to do. And yet, even if Trunks' time in this world was limited,   
right now he felt as if he had all the time in the world.  
  
  
End of chapter 13.  
  
END OF FIRST SEASON!!  
  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Author's notes:  
  
::Julian opens a bottle of Champaign::  
I assume this last part was the one most readers were waiting for. To be   
quite honest, I was looking forward to write it as well (even if it turned   
out a little shorter than I expected it). So, as you can see, the first   
season of the fanfic is concluded, but not to worry, this doesn't mean it's   
then end of the story (otherwise there would be several unsatisfied readers   
chasing after me). So expect more action, more drama, more humor from this   
point on.  
  
And now let's go to some Question/answers.  
  
How did you come up with this?  
  
Mostly due to the people who read "Boy meets Girls" and wanted more. Their   
suggestions didn't go unnoticed and in some dark corner of my mind, my   
subconscious began collecting ideas in order to make a sequel. The idea   
grew so much that I just had to write it down. You'll forgive the lack of   
modesty, but I believe that PPU is coming out a lot better than BMG so far,   
although there might be some who'll disagree with me on this.  
  
First season is over, is this going to be one of those never ending stories?  
  
I really hope not. I have to admit that my initial PPU project was rather   
big. There was simply so much I wanted to write, but seeing how long it took   
me to get to the end of this first season, I'm seriously reconsidering my   
options. I first planned making three seasons, but if I do that, I'll more   
likely die of old age first. Right now I'm analyzing the upcoming events in   
PPU in order to take out some stuff. I plan to make just one more season,   
but I still have to see how I readjust all of my ideas. Some things will   
unfortunately go, but I still plan to make it all worth while.  
  
Are you a sadist by making Trunks and Makoto suffer so much?  
  
No. Actually, I consider myself a sadist regardless of the suffering I put   
Trunks and Makoto through. =P  
Sure, I could've done this a lot simpler by making Trunks show up in front   
of the Senshi from the very beginning, making Makoto jump into his arms at   
that precise second and then make them live happily ever after. But you know   
what? That would've been dull, boring, cliché, and most of all, completely   
lame. Do you really thought that I was going to make this relationship so   
superficial? I mean, Com'on! It's never that easy and considering that the   
two of them spent a considerable number of years going through some changes,   
it was perfect so I could insert some doubt and complications in their   
relationship. Besides, I'm willing to bet that those complications made the   
story more interesting to read than a five minutes instant relationship.  
  
What about the villains?  
  
I feel particularly proud of my cast of villains. Especially Eron and Arlakk.   
One of my main objectives for this fic was to create better villains than   
BMG (which were basically living punching bags so the heroes could show off).   
I was looking for something more dynamic. A group of villains which were   
organized, smart, witty, cunning and most of all, that wouldn't make things   
easy for our heroes.   
The second trouble was creating a group that could be a match for the Sailor   
Senshi and Trunks. Given the astronomic power difference between these two   
groups, that wasn't easy. So, that's why I made the Masters of Tomorrow so   
different from one another in order to cover as much ground as possible.   
Personally, I feel satisfied with this bunch of evil doers I came up with.  
  
You said this fic would also feature Ranma ½, but so far that cast is mostly   
used as background. Will that change?  
  
I really hope so. The Ranma cast hasn't been getting a lot of time on the   
spotlight during this first season, but as you can see, I'm changing that   
with Ranma's new involvement in the situation. Some other Ranma ½ characters   
will also follow, but don't expect them to become this fic's main attraction.   
This story is still mainly DBZ/SM, the Ranma ½ cast will have an important   
role, but they won't become the center of all things (sorry, Ranma fans).   
None the less, I'm not putting them here just so I can fill out some empty   
space, that's for sure. You'll just have to wait and see what I have in   
store for them.  
  
What should we expect for the next season?  
  
I plan to make things a little different than I did for BMG, that you   
already know. One of those things is that I plan to switch the spotlight   
constantly. In BMG, everything turned around Trunks and Makoto. But this   
time, I plan to focus on other characters as well. As you already saw, I   
did that on Rei Hino for some considerable time at the beginning of the   
story and other characters will follow as well (even the villains for that   
matters). Heck, there might be even some chapters where Trunks and Makoto   
don't even show up. Although I'm still keeping them as "hottest couple of   
the fic".  
  
About those "other" BMG side stories you've been promising?  
  
Well, the only BMG sidestory that will be out is titled "Total Kaos" and is   
being written by my friend Black Wolf X. It'll be ready when he says so.   
There was a time when I hoped to write other side stories, but as you can   
see, I'm short on time, so I've abandoned that project. However, I have been   
getting some e-mails of people who are interested in writing side stories...   
although I don't get to hear from them a second time once I let them know   
the specifications for a sidestory (I guess I scared them away =P). In any   
case, if one of you folks wishes to write a BMG side story according to your   
own personal rules, you're quite free to do so. But if you want the   
"Soullard seal of approval", and therefore get your stories posted on my   
page, you have to follow these simple rules:  
  
1) You mustn't alter the BMG or PPU continuity. In other words:   
don't write a sequel based on something that didn't happened.   
Examples: a passionate love affair between Trunks and Minako behind   
Makoto's back during BMG, or the appearance of another DBZ character   
during or after BMG, because none of those things happened.  
  
2) Spell check, people. Please... I'm begging on my knees here...  
  
3) The sidestory must be of the same "flavor" BMG and PPU are.   
Meaning: No lemons.   
  
4) Mustn't alter any future developments in PPU. In order to avoid   
this, send me a broad idea of what you're planning to write. If it   
fits, then you have my blessing. If it doesn't fit, then we'll   
probably have to discuss a few changes. Be sure to send me a draft   
or your idea of a sidestory via e-mail first so we can talk before   
you get to work fully on the project.  
  
5) I have to like the idea. Yeah, I know, I probably sound like a   
real jerk right now, but please keep in mind that if the sidestory   
hampers more helps the story line, it won't be approved. A good   
example of this would be the appearance of Trunks'   
unknown-till-this-day twin brother or something really far fetched.   
Try to keep it simple. It's a sidestory, not a saga.  
  
To give an example, here's something you guys can work with. I once   
planned to write a few short stories which took place between BMG and PPU,   
describing the relationship the Sailor Senshi have had with the Ranma ½ cast   
during the past three years. How did Makoto and Ukyou became such good   
friends? Why does Haruka dislikes Ranma so much? How did Ami and Ryouga got   
to know each other and become friends? Did Ranma and Co went through an   
adventure with the Senshi during that time? Did they met the Sailor Star   
Lights? As you can see there's a lot to work with and you can use that if   
you feel like it.  
  
When will you start with the next season?  
  
When I figure out how to readjust all of my ideas, but more importantly,   
when I have the time. Remember that fanfic writing is just a hobby for me.   
That means that I have several obligations which come first (not to mention   
other hobbies as well). I have a life after all.   
  
So, without further ado, see you in chapter 14... and the second season...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
